Edge of Steel, Heart of Gold: A Hamato Leonardo Fanfiction
by TMNT-Queen
Summary: AU Story: Curiosity killed the cat. Oh, she'd heard it many times before. But never in a million years did she think that her curiosity would get her in a position like this.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except Kayla and the rest of my OCs.**

 _Quick Note: This is a rewrite of the rewritten chapter, haha. I'm not a fan of how I originally wrote this...there are a half-ton of plot holes._ DX

 **Chapter 1**

"Are you sure this is the place?"

"Karai said that we would find her here."

"Why the interest in this girl? She is just a random teen, yes?"

Rahzar's eyes narrowed, glowing in the darkness as he surveyed the dimly-lit apartment building...and the eighth-story window that was their target. "I heard that there's something special about her. She's got ties to the Foot or something."

Fishface raised an eye ridge. "Perhaps Karai is worried about competition?"

The wolf-man grunted noncommittally. "All I know is that it's our job to get the girl, give her the serum, and bring her back to Shredder's Lair." With a sharp glance at his companion, Rahzar made a beeline for the window, his footsteps a near-silent whisper across the gravel rooftop.

A fanged grin appeared on Fishface's lips and he glanced down at the syringe on his belt, full of glowing green ooze. This was going to be fun.

* * *

Kayla Brent stared wide-eyed at the open door that led to the hallway, one hand reaching for the heavy lava lamp on her bedside table. She was sure that someone was in the front room.

The creaky floorboards in this drafty old apartment had woken her up a few minutes ago, making her pulse race. The floorboards _never_ creaked unless someone stepped on them. But minutes passed without a sign of anybody, and the brunette started to relax.

And then a scaly, webbed hand closed over her mouth.

Kayla let out a muffled scream, her eyes opening impossibly wider at the sight of the hideous mutant fish that held her captive. An enormous wolf-man appeared at the foot of her bed, his fangs glistening in the dim light. The wolf grinned and gestured to her.

"Go ahead," he said in a gravelly voice.

Kayla was so preoccupied with trying to make sense of what was happening that she didn't notice the fish's hand drift to his belt. Nor did she notice him uncap the syringe. But the sharp pinch of the needle as it pierced her skin made her flinch.

Immediately, burning fire started to travel through her veins. The brunette jerked away from the mutant and let out a curse, grabbing her bicep. "What did you-"

The fish flashed another grin as the world around her started to tilt. "Just a little something special. Master Shredder sends his regards."

Ice shot into Kayla's heart, battling with the liquid coursing through her. _Shredder._ A name that she hadn't heard in a long, long time.

As the wolf-man picked her up and slung her across a bony shoulder, Kayla tried to call for help. But her voice failed her, the edges of her vision fading to black.

The last thing the teen heard was the wolf's laughter as he climbed out of the window and into the night beyond.

* * *

Leonardo was having a bad night.

Raph had been undermining his orders _again,_ running off with Mikey to see who could make it to the Dragon Gate first while they were _supposed_ to be searching for ooze canisters.

Mikey was easily distracted by every little thing he saw - more so than normal - and either didn't hear the leader's commands or chose not to obey them.

Donatello was the only one who was even _close_ to listening. Which wasn't saying much, since the genius was currently planning on heading for April's apartment, eager to see how she was doing after her recent trip to the Bahamas.

On top of all that, they had tried - and failed - to stop the Purple Dragons from robbing a drugstore _and_ they had gotten their shells handed to them by Hun at the ice skating rink.

The blue-masked turtle heaved a sigh, calling after Donnie. "We have to go find Mikey and Raph and then head back to the Lair. It's almost dawn."

Donnie returned to his oldest brother's side, allowing the disappointment to show on his face. "But she said that she'd give me some of the pictures she took." A scowl from Leo had the Bo-wielding ninja looking sheepish. "Maybe some other time,"

Leo stifled the urge to roll his eyes and started running for the Dragon Gate. He was about two blocks away when a voice he knew all too well made him freeze. Silently, the leader crept to the edge of the roof and looked down. Cobalt eyes narrowed.

On the rooftop across from him ran Fishface and Rahzar, the latter carrying something across his shoulder. Leo inhaled sharply when he realized what it was.

Light breathing alerted Leo to Donnie's presence, and a concerned look appeared on the genius's face as he took in the scene before them.

"Kidnapping," Donnie murmured.

"But why?" the blue-banded leader asked.

Two seconds later, Fishface's voice echoed in the air, giving them an answer. "Hurry up," he said urgently. "Master Shredder will not be pleased if we aren't back with the girl by sunrise."

Leo stiffened, and a glance at Donnie revealed that he'd heard, too. "Any idea why Shredder wants a teen off of the streets?" Leo asked.

Don shook his head. "Honestly? I don't know. But...if Shredder wants her, then she must be important to whatever he has planned."

"So what do we do?"

The unexpected voice of Mikey made Donnie jump. Raph snorted, crossing his arms. "Easy, Don. It's just us."

"I knew that," Donnie replied haughtily. "I just-"

"Guys," Leo interrupted. "They're getting away."

"Let 'em go," Raph said. "She doesn't matter to us. We don't even know her."

"But she could get hurt," Mikey put in, his eyes pleading. "We can't let that happen."

Leo studied each of his brothers' faces in turn, making his decision. He nodded after the trio and took off. Raph sighed but didn't comment further. The ninja caught up to Shredder's henchmen easily.

The only indication of Rahzar's surprise was the slight but telltale twitch of his eye. "And I thought that this night was going to be boring," he observed idly. "Never thought that you'd show your ugly faces."

Raph growled. "Look in the mirror lately?"

Leo glared at his brother. "What do you want with her?" he asked, nodding towards the unconscious teen.

"We don't want anything," Rahzar replied. "But Shredder has something _special_ in mind."

"Mutation," Donnie guessed, his voice grim.

"What does it matter to you?" Fishface asked. "She is just another girl, yes? You do not know her. This is not a matter that concerns you."

Rahzar paused, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes. Then he gave the turtles a fanged grin. "Take her," he said, tossing the girl onto the gravel rooftop. Donnie winced at the sound of her head hitting the ground, but didn't dare step forward just yet.

Fishface's head whipped towards the wolf. "What are you doing?" he hissed.

But the mutant just chuckled. "If they want her so badly, let them take her." He turned to the ninja, that sly grin returning. "Later, freaks." Grabbing Fishface, the wolf-man disappeared into the darkness.

"Um...what just happened?" Mikey wondered aloud, his eyes wide.

Suspicions and doubts spun in Leo's mind. "It was almost like...they didn't care. Like they did something."

"They certainly _did_ something," Donnie replied grimly. "I found a puncture wound on her right bicep. They injected her with a serum."

"But what kind? And why?"

The genius shook his head. "I don't know. But she's in bad shape, Leo. I don't know what they put into her system, but...she's fading fast."

"So what?" Raph asked again, the impatience clear in his tone. "She doesn't _matter._ We have no clue who she is, why the shell Shred-Head wanted her, or why Fishface and Rahzar just gave her up so easily. I say she's more trouble than she's worth."

"What do you mean, she doesn't matter?" Mikey repeated. His baby blues snapped with anger. "She's a citizen, Raph. She's an _innocent._ We save them. We protect them. No matter what. And if we just let her die, if we just left her here in the cold on a gravel rooftop, we'd be giving up. We'd be forsaking everything that Master Splinter taught us. We wouldn't have any _honor."_ He turned to Leo. "Isn't that what you're all about? Honor? The Bushido Code? How would leaving a teenage girl out in the cold to die be following the code? How would there be any honor in that?"

Leo's expression turned pained. "Mike-"

"No," the freckled turtle interrupted. "If you guys don't help her, _I_ will. I'm not gonna explain to Dad why we let someone die just because Raph was being a tool." And having said that, Mikey pushed past his older siblings, scooped the brunette up, and started walking towards the nearest manhole cover.

All three turtles were shocked into silence for a moment. Then Donnie burst out laughing. "He's definitely _your_ brother," the genius told Raph, following after the orange-banded ninja.

Despite himself, despite the heavy burden that had been placed on his shoulders, Leo grinned and elbowed his immediate younger brother. "Looks like you've been outvoted," he murmured.

Raph just scowled, crossing his arms. "Shut up."

* * *

 **Hey, guys!**

 **So, there's already a lot of change in this first chapter. I'm going to try and rewrite the beginning half of the story (probably until chapter 13 or so)...Let me know if this version is any better!**

 **I figured it would be if it weren't so mushy - and there was an actual plot, haha.**

 **Please review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

As soon as they set the unconscious teen in the lab, Leo made his way into the dojo and started meditation, knowing that it was only a matter of time.

Sure enough, Raph barged in not two seconds later, his face set in a scowl. "I can't believe you agreed to bring her home!" he snapped, the anger in his voice almost tangible. "We don't know her. Obviously, there was some reason that Shredder wanted her. She could be part of the Foot, for all we know, and..."

The blue-banded leader kept his eyes closed, breathing through gritted teeth. _Anger is self-destructive,_ he repeated mentally. _It benefits no one. Ignore him._ But with each passing minute, Raph's voice grew louder, cracking Leo's carefully constructed mental shields. His hands clenched into fists in his lap.

"- nothing about her. This is a dangerous...Are you even _listening_ to me?!"

Blue eyes flew open, irritation and seething rage finally visible. "I KNOW!" Leo yelled, his tone sharp as his beloved katana. "I know you don't like her! I know that you're not happy with my decisions! Shell, Raph, we _all_ know! You've made your opinion on the matter _abundantly_ clear!"

Raph was so surprised that he actually took a half-step backwards. Seeing how rattled his brother was at the outburst of temper, Leo took a deep breath and rubbed his temples, forcing himself to calm down. "Look. I know that you're not happy with the situation. All I'm asking is that you try and put up with it, at least until Don figures out what they did to her. I'm not saying you need to buddy up to her or anything. Just...try and be civilized, all right?"

The stocky turtle clenched his jaw and looked away. Leo put a hand on his shoulder. "Raph, I'm not ordering. I'm asking. Please."

There was a moment of silence, the tension becoming so thick that it could've been cut with a knife. Then Raph sighed and the moment was gone. "Fine."

"Thank you," the leader replied quietly.

"Whatever," came the expected reply, tossed over Raph's shoulder as he left the room.

Leo smiled, shaking his head as a weight was lifted from him, and settled back into a meditative trance.

* * *

 _"Daddy? Where are you going?"_

 _"I have to go take care of something."_

 _"Can I go with you?"_

 _The aging man turned around, tears gathering in his hazel eyes. A small, watery smile appeared on his face. "Not this time. I need you to stay here with your mother."_

 _"But I want to come. You're going on a patrol, aren't you?"_

 _It hadn't escaped the thirteen-year-old's notice that her father was dressed in his black uniform - something he hadn't worn in months._

 _He swallowed before answering. "Kayla..."_

 _The brunette's nose wrinkled a little. She still wasn't used to that name - the one her parents had insisted on using ever since they moved to New York._

 _Then her father's expression crumpled entirely and he pulled her into a fierce hug._ _"I want you to promise me something, Kayla."_

 _"What, Daddy?"_

 _"Never tell anyone who you really are - what your real name is. Promise me."_

 _"I-I promise."_

 _That watery smile returned, this time tinged with urgency. "I need to tell you...Nick is-"_

 _"Johnathan Brent."_

 _He jumped, cutting off his sentence abruptly at the deep - and very familiar - voice. "I have to go," he said abruptly._

 _"But-"_

 _"It is time for you to pay for your crimes," came the voice again. And this time, Kayla placed it. Terror spiked in her gut, her pulse skyrocketing._

 _Mr. Brent pulled his daughter close, burying his face in her hair. "Never forget who you are," he whispered. "I love you, baby girl."_

"Don't!"

The cry of fear tore from Kayla's throat, her eyes flying open. They filled with tears as the memory of that night played in her mind. She wrapped her arms around herself, her lower lip quivering.

Only then did the teen notice her surroundings. She seemed to be in some sort of garage/laboratory-type-space. The many tables lined up against the walls contained piles of books, medical and laboratory equipment. Beakers, notebooks, Bunsen burners, and microscopes took up a good amount of table space.

Feet pounded on the floor outside the laboratory. Kayla's eyes widened at the sight of the four mutants that appeared in the doorway. Her mouth opened, sound building in her throat.

"Please don't scream!" cried the purple-masked turtle. "We're not going to hurt you."

She swallowed, trying to convince herself that she was dreaming. "You...you're...you're..."

"Turtles," he finished. "Yes."

"H-How?"

"Well, it all started a long time ago. There were these aliens called-"

"No," Kayla cut him off, shaking her head. "How did I get here? And where, exactly, _is_ here?"

"You're in our Lair, dudette!" said the orange-masked one cheerfully.

"Your Lair?" the brunette repeated.

"We were on patrol last night when we caught sight of Fishface and Rahzar," the blue-masked one explained. "We didn't realize that they had already hurt you."

"They injected you with a serum," Purple put in. "I don't know what kind it is yet. I'm currently running some diagnostic tests on it, but I won't find out about what it contains for a few more hours."

"Any idea why Shredder would want to kidnap you?" Blue asked.

Kayla's heart jumped into her throat at the mere mention of that name. A years-old promise echoed in her mind.

 _Never tell anyone..._

"N-No," she replied weakly. The four turtles stared at her, gauging her reaction, her expression, the tension in her shoulders. Kayla averted her eyes.

And then a searing pain erupted in her right bicep. She hissed, grabbing at the same spot where they'd injected her hours before. A fire lit in her veins. Kayla swore again, viciously, and then found that she had no voice at all.

Pain. Molten hot and throbbing, growing, changing. It was all she knew.

The brunette began to convulse on the lab table, her bones shifting, muscles stretching and straining. Pain radiated through her in waves. Kayla's eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed.

Mikey let out a yelp and darted forward, catching her before she could crack her skull on the sharp edge of the table. Leo's gaze locked with Donnie's. "What's happening?" he demanded.

The genius flew through calculations in his mind, paling as he reached the only possible explanation. "It was a mutagenic serum," he exclaimed. "It had to be!"

"But don't people normally mutate immediately?" Raph asked.

"Stockman must have figured out the formula for a delayed-reaction mutagen. That's the only explanation."

"So what is she mutating into?" Mikey's eyes were bright with worry as he wrapped a protective arm around the unconscious brunette.

"She's...she's becoming the last biological thing that she touched," Donnie murmured, even as Kayla's skin began to change color, her four fingers merging together to form two large ones. "An anthropomorphic mutant turtle."

 **Please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Donnie had been monitoring Kayla for a week now, and there was still no change.

Of course, that could be perceived as a good thing, because at least her condition wasn't getting any worse. But then again, she hadn't woken up, either.

The genius had explained to his brothers that her body was just trying to catch up and recuperate, and that was why she was still sleeping. They seemed to accept that theory, but Donnie himself didn't know if he believed it.

The brunette hadn't woken up since the moment she collapsed on the table, and the serum had slipped through her system easily after that. Within moments, there was a slightly pearlescent plastron stretching and tearing the fabric of the girl's t-shirt - a plastron that, when paired with the hard brown scutes that made up the back of her shell, mirrored the ninjas' own shells to a T. Her skin had turned a light emerald green, her legs and arms elongating slightly. All told, the mutation had taken a little over two minutes from the beginning to the end.

 _Two minutes to shatter someone's life. Two minutes to take away everything they know._

As the dark thoughts echoed in his mind, Donnie glanced over at Kayla again and released a long sigh, closing out the tab that he'd been browsing on his computer. _Possible brain damage. Coma could prove fatal. Seek medical attention immediately if victim does not wake up within hours of accident._

All the sites that he'd been on had said almost the same thing. Still, it wasn't exactly like they could just waltz into a hospital carrying an unconscious female mutant turtle. They couldn't even go above ground when it was daylight.

Not for the first time, Donnie cursed the fact that he couldn't give anyone proper medical attention. The only training he'd had was what he learned from medical websites and textbooks.

A small noise snapped the genius from his thoughts. Donnie looked over at Kayla, not daring to hope. Yet it _was_ true.

She moaned again and opened her eyes, trying to sit up. He pushed her back down gently. "Easy, now. You've been through a lot."

Kayla's brow furrowed as she tried to remember. Then it all came rushing back. _Mutants. Turtles. Sewers._ Her fingers shook as she looked down. Sure enough...

"I'm a mutant," she whispered. _And a turtle no less._

Donnie nodded, his expression sorrowful. "I'm sorry. I tried to stop it, but it was the only way that your body could handle the serum. If I had worked harder, maybe I could've-"

The brunette swallowed, then, touching his arm gently. "It's not your fault." She let out a breath. "My name is Kayla. I- Thank you for saving me."

The purple-banded turtle flushed at the contact, but offered her a smile. "Donatello. And you're welcome. Though I'm a bit surprised you remember all that much, considering-"

Just then, the orange-masked turtle popped his head into the lab. "Hey, Don? Raph and I need your help getting-" His baby-blue gaze landed on Kayla, and he gasped. Without another word, he turned on his heel and ran out of the room.

Kayla blinked. "Do I look that horrible?"

Donnie snorted a laugh and held out his hand, slightly shocked at how well the brunette was taking the news. "Come on. Let's get you out to the living room. I have a feeling the others are going to want to see you." Kayla tried to stand up, but only made it two steps before her legs gave out.

Donnie caught her before she fell. "Easy, there."

She glared down at her legs. "Stupid turtle feet."

The genius laughed outright this time, carrying her out to the main room and setting her on the couch. "Careful," he warned. "You don't want to insult your turtle feet. They might get offended."

"Whose feet might get offended?" the red-banded turtle asked, walking out of a nearby room with a towel around his neck.

"Kayla's," his immediate younger brother explained. "I told her she'd better be careful when she talks about them."

"Especially the cute little toes!" Orange added, joining the conversation. "I love my little toes..."

Red nodded, all seriousness. "You never know when they might trip you up in retaliation," he said solemnly.

"I cannot believe we're having this conversation," Kayla muttered.

Donnie chuckled. "I'm glad you're conscious enough to have _any_ conversation," he replied.

Orange's eyes shone with an easily-identifiable cheerfulness. "My name's Mikey. What's yours?"

"Kayla," the female turtle replied, taking his offered hand. She looked to the red-masked terrapin standing opposite, staring until he took the hint.

"Raph," he said, crossing his arms. "If you even _think_ about hurting them I'm gonna drop-kick your shell and send you straight back to where you came from." There was a smile on Raph's face that didn't quite reach his eyes, and the threat was said so offhandedly and almost _playfully_ that Kayla knew he wasn't joking.

"Point taken."

Before she could say anything else, another figure appeared in the room. When the blue-banded turtle saw his brothers gathered around the teen on the couch, his expression darkened. He turned around and disappeared into the dojo.

"Well that wasn't very friendly," Mikey announced matter-of-factly.

"What was that all about?" Kayla asked.

Donnie sighed. "Leo's just been...working through some stuff lately. I'm sure that it'll be-"

"Don, Raph, can you come here for a second?" Leo called from the training room.

The genius sighed again, rubbing his temples. "Sorry. We'll be right back. Mikey, can you keep her company?"

"Sure thing, dude!" the youngest turtle said cheerfully. As his brothers walked away, Mikey tossed a controller to Kayla. "C'mon, dudette! I am gonna go all ninja on your butt!"

She smiled, but her heart wasn't really in it. Even though part of her was still in shock about her mutation and talking ninja turtles that played _video_ _games_ , she was more concerned about what was happening in the other room.

* * *

"You want to do _what?"_ Raph asked incredulously, his voice echoing through the dojo.

"Quiet!" Leo hissed. "Just announce it to the world, Raph."

The red-masked turtle crossed his arms, glaring. "I just don't get it. Why the shell would you want to let her stay here? She's not one of us!"

"In what way?" the leader challenged. "She's a mutant turtle. It's not like she can just waltz around up on the surface with the rest of the humans anymore."

"What about _our_ opinions? Do those matter? Have you even _asked_ Sensei?"

"You know that he's been busy with other things, Raph! I don't want to bother him with this!"

"So it's just you making the decisions, huh, Fearless? And none of us get a say in it?"

"Of course you get a say in it! I was just thinking that-"

"There you go thinking again," Raph muttered.

Unfortunately, Leo's keen hearing caught the words. "At least I _use_ my brain," he shot back. "I don't just rely on my emotions for everything."

"Like you're not doing right now?" the hothead retorted. "As far as I can tell, you're thinking about this entire thing with your emotions! You want Kayla to stay here because she's a hot chick, not because she's a mutant. If you ask me, I think you've got a crush on her."

The blue-clad leader spluttered. "I-I do not!" he yelled.

Raph's face split in a grin. "Oh, yes. Yes, you do."

"Prove it!" Leo snapped.

"If you don't, how come you were always sneaking in and watching her sleep while Don wasn't in the lab?" Raph asked slyly.

Leo's jaw dropped, his entire thought process halting in the face of that one accusation. "I...I..." His mind grasped a certain fact. "How did you know that I was..."

"I didn't," Raph replied, grinning. "But I do now."

"You son of a Kraang," the leader cursed.

His brother just laughed. In the main room, Mikey let out a shriek of indignation, followed by Kayla's silvery laugh.

Leo's face turned red at the sound.

Raph whistled, cracking up again. "Oh, man, Leo. You are knee deep in-"

"This is all very interesting," Donnie interrupted, deciding that the conversation had gone on long enough. "But we still have to decide what's going to happen to Kayla."

Raph's eyes were beginning to gleam. "I say let her stay here."

They nearly fell over in shock. "What?" Leo asked incredulously. "But you were so opposed to it before-"

The red-masked turtle shrugged. "Meh. What do I care? Like you said, it's not like she can go up to the surface with the humans." Honestly, he just wanted to see how long his oldest brother would last under the pressure of having her under the same roof. Maybe Fearless would finally loosen up some.

Donnie sighed. "Now that we've had that rousing discussion..." He left the two alone, heading back to the lab. That left Leo and Raph with one thing to do. Tell Kayla.

The only problem was, neither of them thought that she'd like it very much.

 **Hey, guys! How am I doing?**

 **Thank you so much to the people that have reviewed so far!**

 **Rock legend 166: To be honest, I haven't really thought about making Kayla wear anything. I suppose I** ** _should_** **, haha. It being that she's female and all. But then again, she has a shell, so...I don't know. XD**

 **Also, I completely made up the medical facts about the coma and head injuries. I am in no way, shape, or form a medical personnel. So please don't quote me on those statements. ;)**

 **Please keep reading and reviewing! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Are you _serious?"_ Kayla's eyes flashed with anger and shock.

"It's not safe for you to be on the surface anymore," Leo explained. "You can have one of the extra rooms down the hall."

The brunette looked at Donnie and Raph. Neither of them would meet her eyes. "Really? No one will tell me why? Or at least give me one good reason not to start screaming in your faces?"

"It's for the best," Leo said quietly.

"For the best?" she repeated. "I don't believe this. My apartment gets broken into by _your_ enemies, I get kidnapped _,_ drugged, and mutated, and you have the audacity to tell me that it was _for the best?!"_ Mikey and Donnie winced, but Raph just shook his head.

The leader sighed, pinching the space between his eyes. "Our kind isn't...widely accepted on the surface."

Kayla's hands tightened into fists at her sides. "You can't expect me to give up _my_ life just because _you_ aren't 'accepted' on the surface! What about everything that I've worked hard for? My apartment, my job, _everything?_ I can't just drop everything on your say-so, Leo!"

Leo raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Kayla, we should talk about this-"

"Talk about what?!" she cried. "There is absolutely _nothing_ to talk about! I'm not going to sit here while you tell me that I have to give everything up because of a stupid mistake!"

"But-"

"Just leave me alone!" Before the guys could do anything, Kayla was up and out the door of the Lair, her anger fueling her enough to allow her to run. She dodged through a series of tunnels, tears making it hard to see where she was going, as she tried to lose Leo and his brothers.

Finally, she succeeded when she ducked into a small access tunnel far away from the Lair. The four turtles ran past, calling her name.

Kayla didn't regret anything...until she heard Mikey's voice. He sounded like he'd been crying.

 _"Kayla...please, dudette. We can help you! Just come back..."_

Gritting her teeth, the brunette tucked herself farther back into the tunnel. When she was sure that they had passed a safe distance away, she left the relative safety of her spot and ran back the way she had come. She found an access ladder that led out onto the surface and climbed up.

Immediately, fresh air hit her and she inhaled deeply. A smile appeared on Kayla's face. _Man, I missed this._ She climbed the fire escape on the nearest building and took in the view, enjoying the sounds of New York at night.

Eventually, though, she had to move. Leo and the others were sure to come to the surface when they didn't find her in the sewers. She made her way back to her apartment and turned on the light. Everything was as she had left it...except for one thing. Her radio was on in her bedroom.

Kayla's pulse sped up as she crept down the hallway. Standing in her bedroom, waiting with his arms crossed, was none other than Leonardo himself.

"Did you really think I wouldn't be able to find you, Kayla?" Leo asked. Cursing her luck, the brunette turned towards the open window, fully intending on running. Leo grabbed her arm. "Kayla, stop," he said wearily. "Where are you going to go? Do you really think that the humans will accept you like this?"

He wasn't trying to be harsh. But Leo knew that if she didn't realize how _different_ she had become now, Kayla would never see it. And that could be dangerous to both her _and_ his family.

Kayla glanced at her bedroom mirror and her face fell. She still resembled a human. Sort of. But with the hard shell, green skin, and the three-fingered hands, she was as much a freak as a vampire in a horror movie. Leo was right. No human would accept her as their equal anymore.

Suddenly, as if her refusal to see that fact had been the only thing supporting her, her legs gave out. She sank to the floor, tears welling up in her beautiful brown eyes, her shoulders shaking with the force of the sobs she was holding in.

Leo awkwardly tried to comfort her, rubbing circles on her shell and handing her tissues. Finally, Kayla sat up and looked at him, surrendering any hope of living normally on the surface.

"What am I going to do, Leo?" she asked. "I can't...I never knew anything other than this life. What now?"

"Come with me," he offered. "You can stay in the Lair. Train. Go on missions, eventually." He inhaled. "We can be your family, Kayla. All you have to do is follow me."

She bit her lip, hesitating. "All right. Just let me...just let me grab a few things." She made her way over to her closet and started throwing stuff into a backpack.

A weight was lifted from Leo's shoulders, and he smiled. Pulling out his T-Phone, he sent Donnie a quick text.

 _We're a go. Get the room ready._

A bag thumped to the floor next to him, jarring him from his thoughts. Kayla crossed her arms, releasing a long breath. "I'm ready."

 **Author's note:**

 **Hey, everyone! I hope this chapter was all right (length wise and everything). Originally, there was much more, but like I said, I'm trying to do this one differently.**

 **Please review!**

 **(If you can recognize the quote below - without Googling it - , I applaud you! ;D)**

 _"Panthers, Rams, Bears. They even got Dolphins! You'd think they'd have room for somethin' a little more...reptilian."_

 _"The Turtles? My friend, unfortunately, the lowly turtle has been saddled by society with the stereotype of being velocity challenged."_

 _"...Say what?"_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** _Don't own them. Wish I did._

 _This chapter goes out to multyfangirl18. I promise you won't have to wait until the end of the month for an update. ;)_

 **Chapter 5**

"Are you ready?"

"I-I think so."

"It'll be fine," Leo said reassuringly.

Kayla took a deep breath and entered the Lair. As soon as she passed the turnstiles, Mikey was running towards her. She barely had time to breathe before he picked her up and spun her around.

The brunette laughed, all her nervousness disappearing. "Mikey! Put me down!"

He did, but not before earning a glare from Leo. "Where'd you go?" Mikey asked. "I was so worried!" His eyes were red-rimmed from crying.

Kayla winced. "I just...needed to clear my head," she replied, glancing at Leo. He nodded imperceptibly. He wasn't going to tell anyone about her attempted escape either.

Raph eyed Kayla suspiciously. "You're _still_ going to let her stay? Are you sure that she won't try and r- OW!" The end of his sentence was abruptly cut off as Donnie stepped on his foot.

"Sorry," Donnie apologized innocently.

Raph let out a growl. "Oh, I am _so_ going to shellac you, Donnie!" With a wide-eyed look at Leo, Don started running, Raph hot on his heels.

Kayla and Leo laughed, but Mikey was waiting expectantly. "You wanna play a game now?" he asked Kayla.

"Actually, Mike, I'm going to help her get set up," Leo replied.

"Okay," Mikey said, a little disappointed. "Maybe later?"

"Sure, Mikey," Kayla promised. "I can't wait to beat your high score at pinball."

"We'll see about that!" A smile back on his face, the youngest turtle skipped off to practice.

The brunette turned back to Leo, and was a little surprised to find him watching her. "What?"

He shook his head, smiling, and walked towards one of the extra rooms. "Nothing." The leader stopped outside of the room. "You ready?"

Kayla nodded and opened the door. Her eyes widened. "No way," she said, awed.

"Go on in," Leo invited.

Without hesitation, Kayla ran into the bedroom and jumped onto the bed, a laugh bubbling up out of her mouth. The room was amazing - and she could barely tell that she was in the sewers. Somehow, they had managed to bring furniture - real furniture! - into the room. An elegant dresser stood in one corner, and in another sat an old oaken desk, a chair rolled under it. The bed was covered in a purple comforter with swirling indigo and silver designs, and there were pillows to match. Posters had been taped over the rough stone walls; images of Captain America and other heroes stared back at her. But the real gem of the room was the shelf on the wall. It was filled to the brim with books. Some were popular new titles, and others old, leather-bound chronicles. One book in particular caught Kayla's eye.

She walked over, picked it up off of the shelf, and gasped. It was a signed copy of the _Lord of the Rings_ trilogy. Tears sprang to Kayla's eyes. "Leo...how did you...?"

The blue-clad turtle beamed. "That's my secret to keep," he replied. She threw her arms around him and he flushed, hesitating for a moment before returning the hug.

The moment was tender and perfect until...

Mikey barged in. "Hey, Leo? Have you seen my limited-edition kick-action unicorn..." Baby blue eyes widened as he caught sight of Leo and Kayla with their arms around each other, and the rest of the sentence went unfinished. The young turtle backed out of the bedroom. "Hey, Don? Guess what Leo's doing!"

Leo dropped the hug and stepped away, the flush returning to his cheeks. Donnie poked his head into the room. "What?"

"It wasn't what it looked like-" the leader began, flustered.

"He was hugging her!" Mikey tattled, grinning. "Tightly!"

The purple-banded genius stared at his eldest brother in disbelief, his mouth gaping. "Really, Leo?"

" _I KNEW IT!"_ came Raph's voice from down the hall. He appeared in the doorway, his eyes flashing with satisfaction. "Pay up, Brainiac."

Donnie pouted and fished a crumpled ten out of his belt, handing it to his immediate older brother. Raph pocketed the cash with a smirk. "You guys betted on me?" Kayla asked, shocked.

"Oh, there's _always_ a bet going on," Mikey replied, his grin widening. He picked up the brunette and threw her over his shoulder. " _Now_ we're gonna go play that pinball game. We'll see if you can beat my high score!"

She laughed, waving at the others. "See you later, guys!"

Raph elbowed the leader. "Smooth," he said, wiggling his eye ridges.

Leo's face reddened again and he groaned. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

"Nope," the hothead replied gleefully. "Never!"

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey, everyone! I realize that this chapter is probably shorter than you'd like...but I have a plan for the next one, so please bear with me. ;)**

 **The action is going to pick up soon. Now that Kayla's gotten relatively settled into the Lair, her life is about to get a lot more interesting. We have a ton of stuff on the way: jealous ex "girlfriends," kidnappings, tortures... so get ready, because it might be a bumpy ride. :D**

 **Until next time, guys...COWABUNGA!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Are you sure about this? I'm not really good with a sword." Kayla was standing in the center of the dojo, wooden bokken in hand. Leo faced her with his own katana.

"First of all, katana. And you'll be fine. I won't hurt you."

"I'm not worried about _you_ hurting _me_ ," she muttered, tightening her grip on the training swords.

His eyes twinkled. "I'm sure I'll be all right. Besides, you lost that bet with me, so now you have to train."

The brunette groaned. "That bet" was just a foolish comment she'd made about beating the leader at hide-and-seek. The winner was Leo. And his 'punishment'? A grueling two-hour training session.

"Will you ever let that go?" she asked, annoyance surfacing on her face.

Leo just smiled. "Ready? _Hajime!"_

Kayla took an experimental swing at him, but her bokken hissed through empty space. Suddenly one of the wooden katana was twisted from her grasp and Leo's katana was pointed at her throat.

"See?" he said. "You need training."

She huffed, throwing down her remaining katana. "Whatever." That said, she stormed out of the room.

Leo followed her into the kitchen. "Kayla, I'm serious. How are you ever going to go on missions if you don't train?"

"Maybe I'm not cut out for the life of a ninja," she replied heatedly. She put a bag of popcorn in the microwave, slammed the door, set the timer, and sat at the table with her head down.

The leader frowned, then an idea appeared in his mind. "Kayla," he began, his voice silky.

"What?" the brunette mumbled, the sound muffled by the tabletop.

"Don't make me tickle you. Mikey told me how ticklish you are."

Kayla jumped straight out of her chair, trying to avoid his reaching fingers. "Don't you dare. I'm serious, Leo!" As soon as she tried to run, he tackled her, laughing. She let out a squeal. "Get off!" Her reaction elicited nothing but a smile from the leader, and his hands moved faster across her stomach. "Leo!"

Raph walked into the kitchen to see what the commotion was about. His eyes widened. "Leo, again?! Really?!"

The blue-banded turtle helped Kayla up, almost doubling over in laughter. The gasping brunette grabbed the now-burned popcorn out of the microwave, opened the bag, and stuffed some into Leo's mouth.

He gagged, his blue eyes going wide. Half of the blackened popcorn ended up on the floor, but he was forced to swallow part of it. "Ugh!" the leader cried, trying to get the horrible taste off of his tongue. "Kayla!"

"That's payback, Leo," she announced, smiling devilishly. The smirk faded when he advanced on her, a murderous look in his eyes. With a squeak of fear, she took off. Kayla barely made it into his bedroom, slamming and locking the door.

Leo banged on it. _"Kayla! Unlock the door! Come on!"_

The female turtle ignored him and looked around. Her eyes widened. His walls were plastered with various Space Heroes paraphernalia, and there were tons of action figures around the room. She picked up a picture of him and his brothers when they were younger. "Aww..."

Taking a peek inside the closet, she couldn't see much that was interesting. Jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, a trench coat - why? -, and... "Hello," Kayla murmured. "What's this?" Pulling out the box and digging through it made her jaw drop.

 **Bang, bang, bang!** _"Open the door!"_ the leader yelled.

Kayla heard Raph's laughter. _"Wow. She locked you out of your own room? I like her more now than I did before."_

 _"Shut up, Raph!"_

The brunette walked back over to the door and opened it. "Leo, I-"

He saw the open box, its contents strewn across his bed, and paled. "You...you went in my closet?" Hurriedly closing the bedroom door behind him, Leo began to shove the artwork back into the box.

"I don't see what the big deal is," Kayla said, crossing her arms.

Leo froze in place, and his hands clenched. He turned around and spoke very slowly. "The 'big deal' is that you went into my closet without asking. You dug through my stuff, and you violated my privacy."

She studied the leader for a minute, taking in his tense posture, the cornered look in his eyes, and suddenly she understood. "Your brothers don't know...do they?" she asked. When Leo didn't answer, she knew it was true. "But you have an amazing talent. Why don't you show it to them?"

His shoulders slumped. "Because...because I'm not supposed to..."

"Not supposed to what?" Kayla prodded.

Leo inhaled. "I'm not supposed to have a talent. I'm supposed to be the leader. Take care of my family. Do what it takes to bring them home every night. Not... Not sit here and paint when no one is looking. Not explore my 'talent' when I should be using that time to become a better protector." He closed his eyes. "I'm supposed to give all that up."

Kayla was stunned. "Who told you that? Master Splinter?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Then who? Raph? Donnie? Certainly not Mikey." He flinched away, and her heart squeezed in sympathy. "They all have their own talents. Donnie is a genius, and he enjoys building and fixing. Mikey loves cooking. Raph...well, I'm not exactly sure what his talent is. Doing what they love, using their talents? It makes them happy. You deserve to be happy too, Leo." Her face softened. "I know that you're the leader. But even leaders deserve time off once in a while."

If someone had asked for a reason for his next actions, Leo couldn't have given an answer. But before he even realized what he was doing, the blue-clad turtle was pulling Kayla close, pressing his lips against hers in a tentative kiss.

Startled, Kayla stepped away. "What...?"

"Sorry," Leo apologized immediately, turning red. "I don't know why-"

She backed up so fast that she hit the doorframe. "I-I'm sorry. I have to...I need to think." Kayla turned and ran from Leo's room.

The leader was left standing in the middle of his room, the half-full box of paintings on his bed and a panicked expression on his face.

 _What the shell did I just do?_

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

Kayla wandered around the back alleys of New York, deep in thought. She was truly puzzled by his reaction in the bedroom. Not to mention terrified.

Why was she scared? Because she didn't want to fall for a mutant. And yeah, that might've sounded harsh, but truth be told, she was still afraid of losing everything.

Kayla was so lost in her own musings that she failed to notice that she was being followed. Several Foot Ninja trailed her, as well as Karai herself.

The kunoichi watched the brunette for a moment. "Are you sure she's the one?"

"Yes, Karai," Fishface replied. "I injected her with mutagen. She is no longer human."

"This better be worth it, Xever," Karai hissed. "If I find out that this is just a waste of time, you'll be wishing you were never born."

"I assure you," he purred, "This is not a waste of time. She is a compatriot of the turtles. She knows much about them. And I have sources that say Leonardo has grown close to this girl."

 _Interesting,_ the kunoichi thought. "I want you to find more information and relay it to me. Do _not_ fail me, Xever." Leaving that warning hanging in the air, Karai thumbed off her comlink and unsheathed her tanto. Her amber eyes glittered in the dim lighting of the streetlamps. "Let's have some fun."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Ooh, here we go! Karai has come into the picture...and that can only mean one thing.**

Selina Kyle: There's drama coming, Mr. Wayne.

Batman: Alfred, she's right!

 **Seriously, though. There really is a lot of drama coming up. Our poor Fearless Leader might just find his heart broken. (Not yet, actually. Mwahaha!)**

 **Next time: Kayla finds out what it means to be hunted, some well-known and very redundant figures make an appearance, and Leo becomes an object of teasing for his brothers.**

 **Until next time, guys...COWABUNGA!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

A _clang_ in the alleyway behind her made Kayla jump. "Who's there?" she called out. "I know Ninjutsu!" That was a bold-faced lie.

Fortunately for Kayla, she didn't have to show off her supposed skills. A small, black-and-white cat walked out from behind a trashcan, the lid of which had fallen onto the ground and made the noise.

"Mrow," was the cat's response.

"Aww," she said, reaching down and petting the tiny animal. "What are you doing here..." The girl read the tag on its collar. "Mittens?"

"The better question would be, what are _you_ doing here?" came a silky voice.

Kayla looked up to see a young woman with close-cropped hair, deadly-looking silver armor, and a tanto walking towards her.

"Who are you?" the brunette asked apprehensively.

"The name's Karai. Leo's old friend." At the puzzled look in Kayla's eyes, fake-surprise appeared on Karai's face. "Oh, didn't he tell you?"

Kayla backed up as the kunoichi approached, casually swinging her tanto. "What are you talking about?"

"You know him, don't you? After all, isn't he the one who got you mutated?"

"What? Where did you-"

"I have a source that tells me all I need to know." Karai stepped closer, cocking her head. "You know, I really would've thought that Leonardo would've told you about me, seeing as how we were so close. Unless, of course, he doesn't want you to know about our relationship..."

The words knifed through Kayla's heart. _She's just trying to get under my skin,_ she reminded herself. _Deception is a kunoichi's most dangerous weapon. Ignore it._

Even still, the things that Karai was implying...

"How well did you know Leo?" Kayla asked carefully. She needed to buy some time to get out of this mess. Scanning the area resulted in locating two exits: one directly behind Karai, and one behind herself.

"Oh, you know..." Karai said vaguely. "We fought together, had some laughs. I almost got him to kiss me once."

"How?" Hmm...if Kayla ran through the passage behind her, she could call Leo and get help.

"I met him at the top of the Bierley Building. I was trying to get him to claim the most famous katana of all time, but him being the way that he is, he..."

Kayla began to block the chatter out, taking a deep breath to help still her nerves. She could do this. "Hey!" she interrupted, staring at something above and beyond the enemy kunoichi and waving her arms wildly. "Guys, I'm down here! Help!"

Karai whipped around, her eyes widening. As soon as she had her back turned, Kayla was sprinting down the alleyway. She pulled out her phone and hit speed dial. "Leo!"

He picked up immediately. _"Where are you? We've been going crazy looking for you!"_

"It's nice to hear from you, too," Kayla said sarcastically. "Your old girlfriend Karai is on my trail! She's trying to take me to her master, whoever that is. I need backup!"

 _"What?! Karai? Where are you now?"_ She quickly relayed her position. _"All right, I'm on my way."_

Kayla turned a corner and found herself in the middle of a two-way street. "Which way, which way?" she muttered. She went left...and walked straight into a group of Foot Ninja.

"Now, now," Karai chided. "It really isn't nice to leave when you're right in the middle of a conversation." She turned to two of the ninja. "Get her."

The female turtle backed up, but there was nowhere to go. The ninja bound her hands and feet. A gag followed as soon as Kayla screamed for help.

Karai's expression was cruel as she leaned in. "There's no use in calling for Leo now, is there?" She grabbed Kayla's phone and hooked it to her belt. "Stockman can find a use for that, I'm sure. Let's go."

"Not so fast, Karai!" Kayla had never been happier to hear that voice in her entire life. Leo stood twenty feet away, katana raised. "Put her down. Now."

The kunoichi just gave him a coy smile and threw down a smoke pellet. When the smoke cleared, the two females were loaded into the waiting van.

In the front seat, Kayla struggled to free her mouth. Finally, the gag slipped free. "Leo!" she cried, her eyes widening with fear.

"Don't worry!" the leader called, grappling with the remaining ninja. "We'll get you out of there, I promise!" The van peeled away from the curb, leaving Leo and the ninja in the dust.

The brunette was wrestling with the bonds on her wrists when Karai injected a needle in her arm, emptying the contents. Kayla blacked out.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

She woke up unable to move, strapped to a surgical table within a blindingly white lab. Realizing that her gag had been removed, Kayla began to scream for help.

Then Karai entered the room, leaned over the brunette, and smirked. "Looks like Leonardo's little plaything is finally helpless. You know," she said, tracing a finger down Kayla's jaw, "You'll make a great bargaining tool."

"Why are you doing this?" Kayla asked, both fear and anger surging through her. "What did Leo do to make you hate him so much?"

"Oh, I don't hate him." The surprise must've shown on Kayla's face because Karai chuckled. "You can't figure it out, can you? I can't be with Leo because of current circumstances. I assure you, though, as soon as my father is ready, we will bargain for your life."

"And what will you ask in return?" The mutant's heart was sinking because she already knew the answer.

"Leonardo will be mine. That fool Splinter will be forced to give up his eldest son in order for you to live. Leo will come and train with the Foot, go on missions-"

"Become a slave," Kayla cut in.

Karai scowled. "And you would go free to return to whatever pathetic life you were living before." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "And If Leo is falling for you as hard as my source said, then he will not hesitate to give himself up for you."

"Leave him alone!" the brunette cried, straining against the bonds that hold her down.

The kunoichi landed a stinging slap across Kayla's cheek. "That is enough from you. You are nothing." Footsteps echoed in the corridor outside, and a malicious smile appeared on Karai's face. "That would be for you."

The captive girl froze as a seven foot tall robot appeared above her. It started speaking to another one.

 **"Kraang, is this the mutant that is required by Kraang for experimental purposes devised by Kraang?"**

 **"Yes, Kraang. This is the one that is known as Kayla Brent that is the mate of the turtle that is known as Leonardo."**

 **"Excellent, Kraang. Kraang should report to Kraang the fact that we are in possession of the one known as Kayla Brent that is known as the mate of the turtle that is known as Leonardo."**

 **"Yes, Kraang. Kraang agrees that the fact that we are in possession of the one known as Kayla Brent that is known as the mate of the turtle that is known as Leonardo to Kraang should be reported to Kraang."**

Kayla's eyes widened, her face turning crimson. "Wait. Did you say _mate?_ I can tell you _right now_ that I'm nobody's mate." The robots – Kraang – stare at her with unblinking eyes.

" **Kraang,"** one of them said, **"I believe that the one known as Kayla Brent who is also known as the mate of the one called the turtle who is known as Leonardo is doing what is known as talking back to Kraang."**

 **"Yes, Kraang, the one who is known as Kayla Brent who is also known as the mate of the one called the turtle who is known as Leonardo is doing what is known as talking back to Kraang."**

Karai groaned. "I'm out of here. I cannot _stand_ to listen to this."

As the door shut behind the kunoichi, Kayla turned to the Kraang. "The one who is known as Kayla Brent who is also known as the mate of the one called the turtle who is known as Leonardo is tired of listening to the ones who are known as the Kraang speak like the ones who are known as the Kraang speak."

One of the Kraang cocked its head. **"** **Kraang, I believe that it is time for what are known as the experiments to be done on the one who is known as Kayla Brent who is also known as the mate of the one called the turtle who is known as Leonardo."**

 **"Kraang, Kraang believes that you are right. There are what are known as the surgical tools on what is known as a tray in the area that is known as over there, Kraang."**

 **"Very good, Kraang. Kraang will now begin what are known as the experiments on the mutant that is known as Kayla Brent who is also known as the mate of the one called the turtle who is known as Leonardo, Kraang."**

Dread filled the brunette as the robots approached, their hands full of surgical tools. "Hurry, Leo," she whispered. "Please, hurry!"

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

 _"Leo, help me!"_

 _"I'm coming! Just hang on!"_

 _"I-I can't! They're here, Leo! They're-" A scream fills the air, making his blood turn to ice._

 _The leader runs into the room just in time to see Kayla collapse onto the ground, blood pouring from the gash in her neck. "No!" he cries._

 _Shredder steps out of the shadows, his armor glinting. He laughs coldly. "You were too late, hero! Too late!"_

Leo woke from the nightmare in a cold sweat, panic in his eyes. "That's it," he said. "I have to find her." He started strapping on his pads and katana, tying on his mask as he walked into the living room. The leader thought that all of his brothers were asleep, but he was wrong.

Raph looked up from his magazine as the eldest came out of his bedroom fully dressed and armed. "Where are you going this early in the morning?"

"I have to find Kayla," Leo replied. His tone brooked no argument.

"Didn't Karai and the Foot take her?"

"Yes."

"And you're _still_ going after her?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Leo turned to face his brother. "I won't let someone else get hurt because of me. Last time it was Kirby, now Kayla." He shook his head. "I won't let it happen again."

"How are you gonna find her?" Raph asked.

"I can track her signal with my T-Phone."

Raph stared at Leo. "No one's going to be able to convince you to stay, are they?" Leo shook his head. The hothead sighed, stood, and stretched. "Well then, Fearless Leader, looks like I'm gonna have to go with you."

Leo grinned slightly, relieved that his brother wasn't putting up a fight – or worse, telling Master Splinter that the leader was sneaking out without permission. "Thanks, Raph." He turned on the tracking app. "It looks like they took her to TCRI."

"Why the shell would they take her there?" Raph asked.

"Probably to experiment on her." The boys turned to see Donnie and Mikey standing there, also armed and ready. "Don't tell me that you were planning on going alone."

"Yeah, bro!" said Mikey. "If you're going, then so are we!"

Warmth surged through Leo. "Thanks, guys," he said. "Let's go get my girl back." He paused, realizing what he had just said.

Raph and Donnie looked at him funny. "Your girl?" said Raph carefully. Then a grin spread over his face. "She's definitely gonna hear about this."

Leo groaned. "Let's just go."

 **Author's Note:**

 ***Anybody remember Mittens the cat? That's one of the funniest parts in TMNT 2012. Seriously.**

 **Also, about Leo and Karai... Well, I know that in TMNT '12, they're technically siblings. THEY ARE NOT SIBLINGS IN MY STORY. This is not about incest. So please, don't complain about it being incest. There's nothing to complain about. (If you see it as such, then...that's your own mind's fault, haha.)**

 **Whew. Now that I got that out of the way, how am I doing?**

 **Did I do okay with the Kraang-speak? Yes? No? That was one of my favorite parts to write, honestly. Although it did get repetitive, wink wink. There was a lot of copying and pasting involved. ;)**

 **Please review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**BLANKET Disclaimer:** _This is a disclaimer for the REST OF THE BOOK. I'm tired of writing these at the beginning of every chapter, haha. I do not own, nor will I ever own, the turtles, April, etc._

 **Quick Author's Note:** This chapter may get a bit harsh...I didn't really expand upon Kayla's torture, but I just wanted to give you guys a fair warning.

 **Chapter 8**

Kayla writhed in pain as blood trickled from her emerald green skin. It was impossible to tell how long she'd been under the knife. Hours? Days? She had lost track of time.

A scream tore from her throat as the Kraang cut deep into her forearm.

 **"Kraang,** " said the robot, **"I believe that the one who is known as Kayla Brent who is also known as the mate of the one called the turtle who is known as Leonardo is experiencing what is known as pain."**

 **"Yes, Kraang. It is true that the one who is known as Kayla Brent who is also known as the mate of the one called the turtle who is known as Leonardo is experiencing what is known as pain."**

Summoning up her fading strength, Kayla replied with all of the venom she could muster. "The one who is known as Kayla Brent who is also known as the mate of the one called the turtle who is known as Leonardo is wishing that the ones who are called the Kraang would stop doing what is known as the talking," she spat.

The two robots looked at each other. **"** **Kraang, perhaps we should place what is known as a gag over the mouth of the one who is known as Kayla Brent who is also known as the mate of the one called the turtle who is known as Leonardo."**

 **"** **I agree, Kraang. The one who is known as Kayla Brent who is also known as the mate of the one called the turtle who is known as Leonardo is again doing what is known as talking back to Kraang. Kraang should place what is known as the gag over the mouth of the one who is known as Kayla Brent who is also known as the mate of the one called the turtle who is known as Leonardo."**

"Would you just _shut up_ already?" Picking up a syringe, the Kraang emptied the contents into the female turtle's leg. She winced. "What the shell was that for?!"

 **"Kraang has just injected that which is known as a sedative into the** **one who is known as Kayla Brent who is also known as the mate of the one called the turtle who is known as Leonardo, Kraang."**

 **"Very good, Kraang."**

Kayla's eyes widened in despair, and she struggled with the restraints again. "No!" But despite her best efforts, she could already feel the sedative coursing through her system, slowing her down. It calmed her racing pulse, pumping through her bloodstream, and into her mind. Fighting the sedative was a losing battle.

With all the strength she had left, the brunette screamed. "Leo!"

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

 _In a secluded hallway in the TCRI building..._

Leo cocked his head, his hand automatically going to his katana. "Did...did you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" asked Donnie.

"I didn't hear anything," Mikey added.

"It sounded like..." The leader's eyes dilated. "Screaming." Without another word, he ran down the hall and disappeared.

"Leo!" Donnie called. "Wait! It might be a trap!"

But Leo paid no heed to the warnings as he sped down the corridors, alarms blaring behind him. The horrible screams were getting louder, drowning out the noise around him. He hacked his way through a squad of Kraang droids, desperate to find the source of the ear-piercing wails.

 **"Kraang,"** a robot said. **"Kraang must send out a signal for more Kraang to come to the place where the signal that will come from Kraang will be coming from."**

 **"Agreed, Kraang. Kraang must also send a signal for Kraang to send more Kraang to the area where what are known as the experimental purposes are done by Kraang."**

Leo's mind was racing as he cut the two droids down. Experimental purposes? If they sent more Kraang to that area, that would be where Kayla was being held!

The leader turned to look behind him as his brothers appeared in the hall. "Guys, I think I know where they're keeping Kayla. They said something about sending more droids to the 'experimental area.'"

Donnie turned pale. "They're experimenting on her." Another mass of Kraang robots arrived, sweeping towards the four turtles. The purple-banded genius put a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Go. We've got this."

Mikey nodded. "Yeah, bro. Save Kayla. We can handle a few tin cans like them." The robots in question fired a volley of lasers towards the youngest, who squeaked. Raph tackled Mikey to the ground right before the shots flew over his head. "Thanks, Raph."

"Don't mention it," Raph replied gruffly. "Get going, Leo! She won't last forever!"

A feeling of warmth surged up in Leo's heart. "Thanks, guys," he said gratefully, turning and sprinting down the hallway once more. _I'm coming, Kayla. Just hold on._

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

 _I can't hold on much longer..._

Kayla's movements were sluggish. The sedative had done its job, and the blood loss had made her extremely weak. She was bleeding in at least a dozen different places, and the Kraang were approaching once again with yet another serum.

She gave no resistance as the robot injected the needle into the soft spot just under her right ear. But a scream tore from her throat as a fiery pain shot down her neck.

 **"Kraang, Kraang has injected the substance known as the controlling serum into the one known as Kayla Brent who is also known as the mate of the one called the turtle who is known as Leonardo."**

 **"Very good, Kraang. Kraang must place the one known as Kayla Brent who is also known as the mate of the one called the turtle who is known as Leonardo in the objects called the chains in the place called the corner, Kraang."**

As Kayla reacted to the serum moving through her body, torturing her very cells, the Kraang loosened the bindings around her wrists and ankles. Kayla tried to stand and fight, but her legs were so weak that she collapsed instantly. The robots dragged her into the corner and shackled her to the wall.

 **"Kraang, when** **the one known as Kayla Brent who is also known as the mate of the one called the turtle who is known as Leonardo wakes up, she will then be under the control of Kraang."**

 **"Very good, Kraang."**

With her rapidly fading vision, Kayla could see the two droids leave the room. The door hissed shut behind them.

"Help," the mutant called weakly. "Hel-" A violent cough interrupted her pleas. A blaze of pain rose in her throat, and one cough sent blood spattering onto the white tile.

The truth hit Kayla like a freight train. Leo's rescue would come too late.

She was dying.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

 **Please review.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Leo ran down the passageway, carving through hordes of Kraang as he went. The aliens were no threat to him as he ran by. He finally reached what he assumed to be the experimental area...and found himself facing yet another group of Kraang with laser guns.

"I do not have time for this!" he yelled. The leader charged defiantly at the robots and cut them down, his wickedly sharp katana flashing and spinning in a dance of death. Defeating the mass of 'bots quickly, he darted into the room beyond.

And stopped, bewildered, as he saw the sheer amount of doors leading into different rooms. Slumped forms huddled in each room - human captives of the Kraang scientists. Despair surged through him. He would never find Kayla in time.

At that moment, Donnie and the others appeared behind him, panting heavily. When they took in the view, Mikey groaned.

"Not _more_ doors!"

"Split up, guys," Donnie ordered. "We have to find her and we're running out of time to do it."

"Look at all these people," Mikey murmured. "Can't we help them?"

 _CLANG!_ The noise made him jump, and they looked over to see a door swinging open. "Already on it," Raph replied, smirking a little.

While Leo searched frantically for Kayla, the others let the prisoners out of the cells, careful not to be seen. Ten minutes later, the blue-clad turtle cried out to his brothers. They hurried to his side, only to see him banging on a door that had been locked from within. Mikey looked through the small window and paled.

"Oh, no..." he said softly. "Leo..." In the corner, facedown, was a crumpled form. And she wasn't moving.

"Got it!" Donnie announced triumphantly, holding up his lock pick. Leo pushed past his brother without a word.

Ever-so-gently, the leader turned Kayla over. There was so much blood that it was hard to tell where it was all coming from. Her face was a pale green, and there was almost no warmth left in her body.

They were too late.

Donnie and the others stood in the doorway, trying to give their brother some space. Mikey had tears running down his cheeks. Raph turned angrily and walked some ways down the corridor, kicking defeated robots as he went.

Leo cried silently, his shoulders shaking. _I failed...This should never have happened._ Donnie came and put a comforting hand on Leo's shoulder. The leader turned red-rimmed eyes in his direction. "She didn't deserve this. I should have been there for her. I-I should have..." He broke off, a sob escaping his mouth.

"It's okay, Leo."

"No, it's not!" he retorted harshly. "If I hadn't kissed her in the first place, none of this would have happened." A pained look crossed his face. "I _failed_ her, Donnie."

The genius looked at Mikey. "Let's go check on Raph." They left, and the blue-banded turtle was mercifully alone.

Leo found himself talking to the brunette. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Kayla. I should have...I could have done something. I could have talked Karai out of it, but I didn't. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that all of this happened to you...the mutation, the relocation...I...I'm so sorry."

He stilled as he felt a faint movement under his fingers. "Kayla?" Her eyelids fluttered slightly. "Donnie!" Leo yelled, feeling for a pulse. It was weak, but it was there. He wasn't too late, after all.

Donnie ran in, Mikey and Raph hot on his heels. "What? What's wrong?"

"She's alive!"

"That's impossible," Raph said doubtfully. "We saw all the blood."

Donnie's face began to grow hopeful as he felt the tiny beat of Kayla's heart against his fingertips. Her breath, weak though it was, left moisture on his skin. "She's breathing..." His eyes widened. "We have to get her back to the Lair. Now."

Raph looked from an awed Mikey to a relieved Leo to a firm Donnie. With a sigh of disbelief, he sliced through the chains that bound Kayla to the wall.

Leo picked her up tenderly and held her against his plastron. "Let's go."

* * *

Before Raph had the Shellraiser parked, Leo was already out of the vehicle and halfway to the lab, still holding Kayla tight. Master Splinter came out to greet the weary turtles, but the words died on his lips when he saw the bloodied girl in his eldest son's arms.

"What has happened?" the rat asked, eyes narrowed.

Leo flushed guiltily as he laid Kayla on Donnie's table in the lab. "She was captured by the Foot, Sensei."

"Yeah. Karai gave her to the Kraang for **'experimental purposes** ,'" Mikey added, imitating the robots. Raph slapped him upside the head. "Ow!" he yelped. "What was that for?!"

Raph glared at him. "For being stupid," he replied.

Donnie shot them both with a deadly look while he grabbed some of his supplies. "Don't worry," he told Leo. "I'll have her fixed up soon." The words _I hope_ were strongly implied.

Splinter was watching Leo carefully. "My son, may I speak with you?"

Leo bit his lip, already dreading what his father had to say. "H-Hai, Sensei." Casting one more worried glance in Kayla's direction, he followed Splinter to the dojo.

The aging rat waited until they were out of earshot. "What troubles you, my son? Is there something you wish to tell me?"

Leo's shoulders slumped. He looked at the floor, unwilling to meet his teacher's gaze. "This is my fault, Sensei. I...I kissed her and she ran off. If I hadn't..." The leader took a breath. "You don't know how happy I was with Kayla here. I wasn't just the leader, or just a freak. I felt human. The way she looked at me...it was like she didn't see a turtle that shouldn't exist, she was seeing me for who I really was." A tear tracked down his cheek. "And now, because I was foolish with my emotions, she's barely alive. She was mutated by our enemies, experimented on by Kraang scientists, and-"

"Leonardo..." Master Splinter put a thin hand on the turtle's shoulder. "You cannot hold yourself responsible for what has occurred."

"I just...I wish that none of this happened to her. That she never met us." The words stung like a tanto blade, but he had to say them.

"Donatello told me that it was Bradford and Xever that set this all in motion." Splinter gazed at the tree that soared above them in the dojo. "You must not feel guilty about this. Perhaps she was taken prisoner because Miwa wished to avenge her mother. Perhaps it was because Miwa was jealous of her. Whatever the case, she will not blame you for what has happened, and neither should you blame yourself."

"Maybe you're right, Sensei..." Leo bowed to his father and left the dojo. _If she dies, I will never forgive myself._

 **Please review.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Weeks passed without so much as a twitch from the unresponsive brunette. During that time, Leo took to hiding in his room with the door locked. His worried family would leave food outside of the door at night before they went to bed, only to find the plate virtually untouched in the morning. No one could convince the leader to eat, much less come out of his bedroom. Even Master Splinter had no success.

On the Tuesday of the fourth week, Donnie was - as usual - hard at work in the lab. His fingers flew over his keyboard, making an incessant clacking noise. From time to time, he'd glance over at Kayla - as much to make sure that she was still breathing as it was to keep himself awake.

But then his ears picked up on a noise other than the clicking of the keys under his large fingertips. Donnie froze, waiting to see if he'd hear it again.

The low moan, barely audible, repeated itself, and the genius shot from his chair. He was across the room in seconds, going so fast that he almost slammed into the side of the table where Kayla lay.

It should've been impossible - she'd lost too much blood, and all the medical sites had stated that a victim unconscious that long probably wouldn't ever wake up.

But against all odds, Kayla's eyelids were fluttering and the color was returning to her face. The female turtle gasped and her eyes shot open. She looked up to see Donnie, haggard but smiling. Tears flowed down his face unrestrained.

"D-Donnie?" Kayla's voice was rusty from disuse. "Where...what-" She broke off into a coughing fit, her dry throat inhibiting her ability to talk.

The genius held a glass of water to her lips. The liquid was lukewarm and slightly stale, but it was the best thing that she'd ever tasted.

Donnie took a deep breath, trying to calm his raging emotions. "We didn't think..." Setting the glass down, he ran to the door of the lab. "Guys, get in here!"

Mikey and Raph appeared in the doorway almost instantly. Neither turtle noticed the girl sitting up on the table. "What is it, D?" Mikey asked, concerned.

"Kayla...she pulled through!" Donnie was almost shaking with relief. His knees gave out and he would've fallen if Raph hadn't caught him.

"Whoa, Brainiac," the hothead chastised. "We don't need another turtle passing out."

Mikey, meanwhile, was already hugging Kayla fiercely. "We thought we'd lost you for good!"

The brunette groaned in pain. "Easy there, Mike...I'm not sure where-"

As he regained his composure, Donnie joined the two. "You were out for almost a month, Kayla. We...we didn't think you'd make it."

Raph slugged Kayla on the arm and she winced. "Don't you ever do that again." He paused, rubbing his neck. "Good to have you back," he added gruffly.

"That's as close as he's gonna get to saying he missed you," Mikey whispered to her.

Kayla would've chuckled if a thought hadn't appeared in her mind. "Where's Leo?" All three brothers suddenly seemed to find the floor very interesting. "Guys?"

Mikey bit his lip. "He's...um...in his room."

She had a feeling that wasn't the whole truth. "Doing what?"

Raph sighed. "No one knows," he admitted. "He locks himself in there and doesn't talk to anybody. We don't even know if he's eating. I mean, we leave food for him but it's always the same as we left it."

Considering the fact that Kayla had been unconscious for about a month, it probably wasn't the best time to tell her. Nor was it the best time for her to try and stand up. The room spun around her and her vision darkened.

Mikey's strong arms were the only think keeping her from falling. "Whoa!" he cried.

"What are you doing?" Donnie asked, alarmed.

"I have to go see Leo," Kayla replied, squeezing her eyes shut against the pain.

"You have to rest," the genius said firmly.

Kayla shook off his hand, her eyes opening again. They were stormy with roiling emotions. "I'm _going_ to see Leo," she growled.

Donnie backed away, his hands raised in defeat. "At least let Mikey help you out."

She sighed but let Mikey pick her up. On the way out of the lab, the youngest turtle glanced at her curiously. "How are you gonna get him to come out of his room?"

"I'm not. I'm going in."

This answer seemed to intrigue Mikey, who set her down in front of his eldest brother's door without a word. But when Kayla knocked, she got no answer.

Frowning to herself, the brunette jiggled the door handle. Locked, just as they'd said. Kayla turned to Mikey. "Pick the lock."

Mikey looked stricken. "What? But...that's Leo's room."

"I know."

"But...it's his. A shut door means he wants privacy, and that goes double for a locked door. We're not supposed to-"

The female mutant put a hand on his shoulder. "Mikey, listen to me. Whatever he's doing in there is harming him more than helping him. He needs to know that I'm back. And he won't come out. So we have to go in."

Mikey hesitated, but pulled the kit from his belt anyway. Two seconds later, the door was swinging open to pitch blackness.

Once Kayla's eyes adjusted to the darkness, she gaped at the scene before her. And before Mikey could see, she pushed him out of the room and slammed the door in his face.

 _"Hey!"_ the youngest turtle yelled. _"What the shell?!"_

"I need to do this alone," Kayla replied. "It's just between Leo and me, okay?"

 _"...okay..."_

Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned back to the mess. And a mess it was. Books and papers were scattered across the usually-pristine room, and several candle-stubs littered the room as well. But that's not what shocked Kayla the most.

All of Leo's paintings lay on the floor, ripped and torn. Kayla knelt down, tracing a large hole in a painting of the Hamato Clan. Tears rose to her eyes.

A low muttering noise from the bed caught her attention, and as quietly as she could, she walked over. Her eyes widened yet again. "Leo?" she gasped.

The leader was huddled on the mattress, his arms wrapped around his legs and his face buried in his knees. And he was _thin._ So very, very thin.

"My fault," he murmured. "It's all my fault...I failed. I'm a failure..."

"No," Kayla replied, grabbing his hand. "You're not a failure, Leo. You're not. I'm here."

Leo glanced at her, but it was like he was looking right _through_ her. "It's all my fault," he repeated. "All my fault."

Kayla touched his forehead, immediately yanking her hand back. _He's burning up._ But before she could finish her thought, Leo gripped her arms tight enough to hurt.

The blue-banded turtle grew louder, his eyes dilating. "It's my fault! I failed!" His mantra swelled in volume, and Kayla tried to pull away. But his hold was like steel.

 _"Kayla?"_ Mikey called frantically. _"What's going on?"_

"It's...it's okay," she tried to say, but Leo drowned her out.

The youngest turtle rattled the door handle. _"The door is stuck! I'm gonna go get the others!"_

"No, Mikey, don't-"

The brunette wrenched away from Leo, breathing hard. Her blood pounded in her ears, and darkness threatened to overwhelm her. Leo's voice was reaching fever pitch now, rushing over everything like a tidal wave. He climbed off of the bed and started towards Kayla, a maniacal look in his eyes.

"I FAILED! IT'S MY FAULT! MY FAULT!"

The leader reached Kayla, his hands outstretched. She backed up until her shell hit the wall, trying desperately to evade those hands. "Leo, stop!" she cried.

A moment of clarity overtook Leo and he froze, two inches away. "K-Kayla?" Then his eyes rolled up into his head and he collapsed.

Kayla screamed.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

 **Author's Note:**

 **Kayla can't just get healed and everyone live happily ever after? Noooo, it can't be that easy.** **I love my drama.**

 **What did you guys think of Crazy Leo? I tried to make it kind of terrifying, but I don't know if I quite reached that level, haha.**

 **So any guesses as to why Fearless is acting like he's insane? If you have one, leave a review and let me know! People who give me good reasons will get spoilers! :D** (I know, I know. Bribery? Not really. I just want to know what you guys are thinking.)

 **The crazy train ain't derailed yet, folks. There's a lot more drama on the way. Obviously, I can't make it easy for the Hamato Clan. Blame their stupid Turtle Luck. ;)**

COMING SOON:

 _Leo wakes up and gets a good talking-to from his family; Kayla remembers something that she really wishes she hadn't; A well-kept secret is revealed; and a lovable and well-known ally of the turtles makes an appearance._

 **So hang on to your shells, guys. Because this is about to get messy.**

Raph: You mean 'messier.'

Donnie: I don't recall the original chapter being so...terrifying.

Me: Yes! It was terrifying!

Raph: You're _always_ terrifying.

Me: ...shut up.

 **Until next time, guys...COWABUNGA!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Donnie, is Leo gonna be okay?"

The resident genius sighed and readjusted the IV drip that was inserted into Leo's arm. "Honestly, Mike...I don't know. He's severely dehydrated, not to mention malnourished."

"Why would he do this to himself?" the orange-masked turtle asked, touching Leo's shoulder.

"Because he blamed himself."

The words were spoken so softly that they barely heard her. But Kayla raised her head and looked at the three brothers, revealing red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes and a tearstained face. The pain in her expression was unmistakable.

"When I went in there, he kept saying that it was all his fault. But it isn't. It's...it's mine."

"You got that right," Raph replied harshly. A scowl contorted his features, and he crossed his arms.

"Raph!"

"No, Donnie. It's okay." The brunette took a deep breath to steady herself. "None of this would've happened if it weren't for me." _If I had told them who I really was._

"You can't blame yourself, dudette." Mikey slipped an arm around Kayla's slim frame. "We don't."

"Speak for yourself," the red-banded turtle snarled. On the way out of the lab, he called over his shoulder. "Let me know when he wakes up. _If_ he wakes up."

Kayla's shoulders sagged. "I really screwed up, didn't I?" she asked Donnie.

He shook his head. "No," he said firmly. "Raph is just being...well, Raph."

The brunette stood up, trying to ignore the unconscious turtle nearby - and the guilt that had settled onto her shoulders. "I'm...I'm going to go get some air."

"Did you want company?" Mikey asked hopefully.

Kayla stared at him for a moment, trying to gauge his emotional state. She realized that he probably needed a break too. He seemed cheerful, but underneath the happiness was a definite tension.

"Sure," she replied.

Mikey grinned and scooped her up, heading out of the lab. "Later, D!" he called. The genius gave them a nod of acknowledgement and turned back to monitor the blue-banded leader.

"So where to?" Mikey asked once they were out of the Lair.

"Anywhere," was all that she said, but the youngest turtle knew what she meant. Anywhere but the lab, the Lair, the sewers. Anywhere except near the comatose eldest.

Anywhere except near the reminder of her failure.

The freckled ninja chose not to comment on that. "Close your eyes," he told her instead.

"What?"

"Just trust me."

So it was that fifteen minutes later, Kayla opened her eyes and found herself looking out at the city from her perch atop the glowing torch of the Statue of Liberty. She gasped, awed.

"Mikey, it's...it's..."

"Amazing, right?" His voice was quiet. Sad, almost. "I come up here sometimes when I need some time by myself. Ever since the Triceratons...Well, my bros don't come up here anymore."

Kayla was silent for a minute. She remembered when the Triceratons had invaded, tearing up Central Park in the process. It had to have been far worse for Mikey and his brothers, knowing how close they had come to losing everything.

She laid her head on his shoulder, trying to offer him a little comfort. He put an arm around her and pulled her close. They stared out at the city, the blazing lights a stark contrast against the night sky.

An hour later, Mikey's phone buzzed with an incoming call. The orange-banded turtle answered. "What up, D?" Mikey's eyes widened. "What? Dude, really? Okay, okay. We're on our way."

"What's going on?" Kayla asked curiously.

"Leo's awake."

* * *

The female turtle stood outside Leo's door, dread curling in her stomach. She didn't want to go and see Leo, but she knew she had to do it. Earlier, she'd had an excuse. The others had been in his room with him, celebrating the fact that he was alive, that he was conscious.

But now the only one in there was Donnie. Kayla glanced at Mikey again, who nodded encouragement. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and stepped through.

Donnie looked up from his seat beside Leo. His expression changed too quickly for her to decipher, but the genius left the bedroom, giving the brunette space to talk.

Sweat slicked Kayla's palms, and she wiped them on her thighs as she sat down in the chair Donnie had just vacated. Leo's eyes were closed in a light sleep, and a faint smile graced his lips. "Um...hey, Leo," Kayla whispered. When this delivered no response from the leader, she dared to speak a little louder. "I just...I just want you to know that I don't blame you for anything. You might, but I don't.

"And I'm scared, I guess, because that means that I'm taking responsibility for everything. And responsibility is a hard master. Well, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for screwing up your lives and making this all about me - that's how Raph views it, anyway - and I'm sorry for hurting you like this." Hesitating for only a second, Kayla pressed a kiss to his forehead, then moved for the door.

"Mikey better not have just kissed me..."

Kayla whipped around. "Leo?" she asked hesitantly.

The blue-masked turtle opened his eyes. He saw Kayla standing by the door and his face went slack with shock. "K-Kayla? You...you're..."

She bit her lip, looking unsure. Given what had happened last time in the leader's room, she suddenly wasn't convinced that it was the best thing for her to be there. "Hi," she murmured.

"I don't...wait. What happened?" A look of clarity overtook Leo's face, and his eyes filled with horror. "Holy shell...I hurt you," he whispered.

"No, you didn't," Kayla replied. "You didn't do anything." Except scare the absolute shell out of her, but she wasn't going to tell him that.

"Exactly. I didn't do _anything._ I could've...I should've protected you. I should've stopped Karai, and-"

The female mutant put a finger on his lips. "Shh. It's okay. We've both made some mistakes."

Leo took a deep breath. "Do you...do you hate me?"

Kayla blinked, taken aback by the question. "Why would I...No, Leo. No. I don't hate you."

"Are you sure?" He searched her face for some indication of lies or disgust, but all he found was confusion...and maybe a little relief.

"I'm sure." She touched his forehead where there was a recent scar, and frowned. "What happened?"

The leader looked away. "Nothing," he replied. "I...um...I ran into a wall."

"No he didn't," Mikey contradicted, joining the two turtles. "He got hit by one of the Kraang when he was looking for you. Leo fought his way through, like, fifty Kraang all by himself! They were all, ' **The one called the turtle who is also known as Leonardo shall not reach the room used for what are called the experimental purposed where the one known as Kayla Brent who is also known as the mate of the one called Leonardo is being held for experimental purposes,'** and he was all like, 'Get out of my way, Kraang!'"

"Okay, we get it. Thank you, Michelangelo," Leo cut in.

Mikey grinned. "You're welcome, bro."

Kayla laughed. "Mikey, can you give us a minute? We need to talk."

The youngest gave a mock salute. "Yes sir, Captain Kayla, sir." With that, he left the room, closing the door as he left.

Leo's shoulders sagged. "Kayla...about that day in my room. If I made you feel uncomfortable...I didn't mean..."

The brunette sighed, closing her eyes. "I was confused. I needed to sort out my thoughts. When you kissed me, I...well, I was confused. But later...I understood. I understood what you were going through...what you needed. What _I_ needed. And then I realized that I feel safe with you."

"Me?" he repeated, his face registering shock.

"You." Kayla opened her eyes, cocking her head slightly. "So...fifty Kraang, huh?"

Leo flushed. "Well...it' wasn't _fifty."_

"YES IT WAS!" Mikey yelled from the other side of the door.

The eldest turtle groaned. Then he grew serious. "Kayla, I want you to know... I mean... What I'm trying to say is...you've made me really happy, being here. Well, not about the mutating part, or when you got kidnapped, but-"

A thought registered in Kayla's mind, a fact that completely obliterated everything else. She sat bolt upright as fear flooded her system. "Kidnapped." The Kraang had said something about a controlling serum, about how when she woke up... "Oh, no."

Leo tensed. "What's wrong?"

"I need to talk to Donnie. Now." She stood, but too fast. Her vision darkened around the edges and she put her hand on the wall for support.

The blue-clad leader leapt out of bed, ignoring the nausea that swept through him, and caught Kayla before she fell. He picked her up and threw open his door.

Mikey fell backwards. "What's going on? Why are you out of bed?"

"Kayla has to talk to Don."

"Let me help," Mikey offered. Sighing inwardly and cursing his weakness, Leo allowed his youngest sibling to carry the female mutant. They walked quickly across the living room and Leo pounded on the lab door.

"Donnie!"

The door opened. Donnie looked annoyed. But his expression changed when he saw his eldest brother standing in the doorway - and the panic on Kayla's face. "What's wrong?"

Kayla slipped out of Mikey's grip and walked over to the table. "Donnie, you know how the Kraang experimented on me?" she asked, trying to keep the dread out of her voice.

"Yeah," Donnie replied slowly. "What about it?"

The brunette swallowed hard. "They said something about injecting me with a controlling serum. That when I woke up...I would be under their control."

Donnie's eyes widened. "And you think that since you're awake..."

"It could happen any minute," she finished unsteadily, hands shaking. Leo looked furious. He slammed his fist into the wall beside him, and Kayla inhaled. "Leo, it's okay."

"No, it's not."

"I'll need to run some tests to see if the serum will be successful in maintaining a hold on her mind," Donnie said, picking up a syringe. Kayla shrank back at the sight of the needle.

Leo frowned. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, trying to banish images of the Kraang from her mind. "I just...needles..."

The genius understood immediately and set the syringe down. "I can try and do it another way if you want."

Kayla smiled weakly. "It's okay. Just be careful." She shivered as he wiped her neck with an antiseptic cloth. Her knuckles turned white on the edge of the table.

Donnie stuck the syringe into her neck and drew the plunger back, filling the barrel with her blood. When he was finished, he placed a bandage over the puncture, then took the blood over to his work station. "I can analyze this and see exactly when you'll react to the serum in your blood."

"How long until you have the results?" Leo asked, slipping an arm around Kayla's shoulders.

"A couple hours at most," Donnie replied.

"Hours?" Kayla repeated. "Don, I might not _have_ hours."

The purple-banded turtle stuck his tongue through his teeth, concentrating. "Don't worry. It'll be fine. You'll see."

The female mutant swallowed back the taste of bile. "I hope so, Donnie. I don't want-" The rest of her sentence went unsaid as a sudden, blinding pain crippled her mind. Images of destruction flashed before her eyes. The turtles were on the floor, bleeding. _Unconscious, or worse?_ Master Splinter was caged. The Lair was trashed. Kayla stood over Leo, a katana raised, ready for the kill.

Kayla's eyes flew open and she screamed, darting away. Away from Leo, away from Donnie, out of the lab. She didn't care how badly her side throbbed; she just had to get away from them before she did something that she'd regret for the rest of her life.

Leo called after her, yelling at her to stop, but she ran on into the sewers. Pretty soon she was lost.

 **Please review.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

In a derelict tunnel deep within the sewers, Kayla finally stopped running. Her legs and side ached and her lungs burned. She sank down to the floor and curled up into a ball, trying not to think about what had happened last time she'd run away from something.

Kayla's shoulders began to quake, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I can't do this again...not anymore." Faintly, the guys' voices echoed in the tunnels, calling to her. But the thought of the serum taking over... "No. I could wind up hurting them."

Using the wall for support, the brunette managed to stand again. She moved along the corridor as silently and swiftly as possible. Up ahead, an iron door appeared in the gloom. Glancing around furtively, Kayla pulled the door open, the heavy metal squeaking on its rusty hinges. She winced...and then her eyes widened in surprise. "Whoa."

Instead of the bare sewer room she'd been expecting, Kayla saw that the room had been well-furnished. Candles flickered inside stone niches. A bed sat one corner, and in another stood a table, on which rested the small statue of a crocodile.

"Hello?" Kayla called softly. "Anyone here?"

No answer came from within the living space. Kayla walked cautiously towards the bed, relaxing when she saw that it was empty. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to rest her eyes for a minute or two. The brunette closed the door, hoping that whoever lived there wouldn't come back for a while.

Giving in to her exhaustion, Kayla lay down and closed her eyes...waking two hours later with a giant crocodile staring at her. She screamed.

"Intruder!" the mutant croc roared, snapping at her with his sharp teeth.

Kayla backed into the corner. "Please, I didn't mean to! I was just looking for a place to rest, and I-" Her sentence cut off abruptly as pain lanced through her side. When she felt the area, her hand came away slick with blood.

The crocodile tilted his head, calm for the moment. "You are hurt," he observed, coming closer. His eyes narrowed slightly. "You look like... Have we met?"

The brunette shook her head, gritting her teeth against the pain. "Don't think so."

"I thought that there were only four turtles?"

"I got mutated recently. They touched me beforehand. They're my friends." _Or they were, anyway._

His huge head nodded in understanding as he offered her a clean bandage, which she took and wrapped around her side. "Michelangelo saved my life. They took me to their home, where he named me Leatherhead."

Kayla's eyes widened. " _You're_ Leatherhead? Mikey told me about you." Suddenly the brunette was very glad that she hadn't mentioned the Kraang.

Leatherhead studied her. "Why are you not there with them?" he asked.

The girl's expression darkened. "I had to leave because I was afraid that I'd hurt them. I can't go back."

The reptile leaned back. "I understand. I am also volatile. Sometimes I have bouts of anger so great that they are blinding. I wake up afterwards, horrified at my actions."

Kayla placed a hand on his. "Nobody is always perfect. And I don't think that it's your fault."

Leatherhead gave her a grin, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. "Are you hungry, my friend?" At the mention of food, her stomach grumbled loudly. A blush colored Kayla's face, but the crocodile laughed. "Very well. Remain here and I will go find something to eat." With another quick smile at the female turtle, Leatherhead disappeared down the corridor again.

Kayla took the opportunity to examine her wounds. The injuries on her arms and legs had scarred, but the gash in her side was still bleeding lightly. She must have torn the stitching when she ran.

The brunette froze suddenly, her ears picking up on noise outside. Very familiar voices came from down the tunnel, but she couldn't make out the words.

Kayla dove under the bed, hissing in pain at her wounded side. She quickly pulled the quilt down, hiding herself from sight. The door swung open just as the quilt touched the floor.

"Yo, Leatherhead! You in here?"

"I don't think he's home right now, Mikey."

 _Shell. Shell, shell, shell. Mikey **and** Donnie._

"I hope he's seen her. Maybe she came this way and found him."

"It's possible," Donnie mused.

"Why did she run?" Mikey's question was laced with worry. And hurt.

Donnie sighed. "I don't know. I think she was scared about turning into a Kraang slave. She must've decided to run so that she wouldn't hurt anyone."

Kayla's heartrate skyrocketed as the genius sat on the bed directly above her. Sweat formed on her forehead, and a droplet trickled down from her temple. _Leave. Please leave. Please leave._ The longer they stayed, the greater chance there was of her being discovered.

Mikey sat next to his brother, and the frame sagged a little lower - almost touching the mutant's head now. "I wish we knew where she was. Last time she left, Leo-"

"I know, Mike."

Kayla winced at the reminder. _Maybe I should just go back to the Lair._

 _Oh, yeah,_ said a little voice deep inside her. _That way when the serum takes over, you can murder Leo and his clan._

 _Shut up,_ she told it, rubbing her temples.

At that moment, Leatherhead walked in, his arms laden with bags of food. "Michelangelo? Donatello? What are you doing here?"

"Our friend has gone missing," Donnie explained.

"Yeah, have you seen her?" Mikey put in.

The crocodile set the bags down with a thump. "She must be the one that came earlier asking for my help. I told her that I cannot be around anyone and sent her off. I do not know where she is now."

In her hiding spot, the aforementioned teen's eye ridges went up. _He lied to protect me?_

"Oh." The orange-clad turtle sounded defeated. "Well, if you see her, can you let us know?"

"Of course," Leatherhead promised. He walked the two turtles out. "Farewell, my friends."

As soon as their footsteps faded, Kayla climbed out from under the bed. "Why did you lie to them?" she asked.

"I know how it is to be a danger to your loved ones," Leatherhead explained sadly.

The brunette hugged his massive frame. "Thank you," she whispered. "I can't stay any longer. I wish I could, but I risk endangering them by being here."

The enormous reptile nodded. "I wish you the best of luck, my friend."

Kayla gave him a soft smile and left his room. He closed the door behind her, and she sighed, the full weight of everything bearing down on her shoulders once more. _You will always be alone,_ the voice hissed tauntingly.

 _Alone, alone, alone, alone._ The word repeated itself in her mind as she walked away.

 **Please review.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Kayla stumbled, her foot catching on the lip of a sewer tunnel. She fell, scraping her hands and knees against the rough stone. Tears welled up in her eyes, and before she knew it she was bawling. Suddenly, the loneliness was overwhelming. At that moment, she would've given anything for Mikey's groan-worthy jokes or Donnie's boring science facts or Raph's snarky comments or Leo's nerdy quotes.

But it didn't matter, because she'd never hear any of that again. She was almost out of the sewers. Soon she'd be above ground, leaving the city and heading for somewhere else. Anywhere else. And Leo and his family would finally be safe.

The brunette felt a pang when she thought of the blue-clad leader. _Don't blame yourself,_ she begged silently. _Please. It's not your fault._ She slid down the wall and put her head in her hands. "Why couldn't I have just stayed in bed?"

Taking out some of the bread she'd packed, Kayla chewed it slowly. It was dry and tasteless - especially compared to the food she'd eaten while she stayed at the Lair. _What I wouldn't give for a slice of pizza..._

Soon enough, the female turtle finished the meager meal and slung her bag over her shoulder, setting off again. The sewer exit came into view within another five minutes of walking. When Kayla emerged from the tunnel, squinting against the fading sunlight, she looked at her surroundings and spotted a fire escape leading to the top of an old apartment building. She scaled the stairs quickly, then gasped as she took in the view.

The entire city spread before her, dazzling in the rays of the setting sun. Far to the right stood TCRI, a black streak against the fiery red-and-gold clouds.

Sighing quietly, Kayla settled down on the rooftop, leaning back against an air conditioning unit. It was as good a place as any to rest for a while. She tilted her head towards the sky and watched the stars come out, remembering a better time when her father would take her out to the country and point out the different constellations. The two of them would lie back on a blanket, staring at the stars until they fell asleep.

Kayla's face split in a wistful smile, her eyes closing. She was out like a light.

 _The room was pitch-black. "Where am I?" Kayla called. "Is anyone here?"_

 _Without warning, lights came on. The scene that was revealed was so horrific that her stomach turned violently. The Lair had been ransacked. Blood was smeared on the walls and floor._

 _A sinking feeling overtook Kayla, and she found herself moving towards the lab. Hazel eyes widened in shock and terror. The four turtles lay on the floor, unmoving and drenched in red._

 _A katana - **Leo's** katana - appeared in the brunette's hands, blood dripping from the finely honed edge. She stared at the blade, and then noticed something else. Her arms were coated in blood up to her elbows, matching the splashes of liquid across her plastron and legs. _

_A scream tore from Kayla's throat, but it was cut short as she choked. Blood filled her throat, her lungs, her nose. She collapsed, sinking into darkness._

"No!" Kayla jerked awake, gasping. A single glance at her arms told her that it had been a dream, nothing more. But the images still left her trembling. It had seemed so _real._ "I wish Leo were here," she whispered, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Do you?"

The brunette froze. That voice. She'd recognize it anywhere. "Karai." The kunoichi stood a few feet away, smirking. Behind her were several Foot, all armed. "How do you keep finding me?"

Karai's smirk turned cruel. "Tracking device in your leg," she replied. The robots began to surround the female turtle, drawing their weapons.

A fool. Kayla was an utter fool for sleeping out in the open. She had allowed this to happen - albeit accidentally, but still. This was her fault.

"Give up, Brent," the armor-clad kunoichi ordered. "There is nowhere else to run. You think that leaving the city will solve your problem? When the serum kicks in, you'll be under Kraang control, no matter where you are. They'll force you to find the turtles. On the other hand," Karai continued, "You could come and work for my father. I'm sure that he would be very pleased to have a turtle on his side."

She held out her hand. In her palm was a red and black mask, like the ones that the turtles wore. Kayla shivered. _Red and black. The colors of the Foot._

"Take it," Karai urged. "It belongs to you. I know who you really are, what your true heritage is."

"I'm not that person anymore," Kayla denied, her hands and voice shaking.

"Oh, come on. You know that you want it."

Revulsion and despair and something like longing shot through Kayla. The latter disgusted her even more, and she shrank away from the mask. "No," she whispered, backing away.

"Don't be foolish," the kunoichi hissed. "This is a big opportunity for you."

"I-I don't want it. I can't."

"Everything your father worked for, everything he did. You would just throw it all away like so much trash?"

Kayla lunged for the kunoichi. Two robots leapt forward and held her back. "Don't talk about my father!"

"Touched a nerve, did I? Tell me, do you think that he would be proud of who you turned out to be? How you betrayed his memory? The freaks you hang out with now?"

"SHUT UP!" the brunette screamed. "I will _never_ join you! Never!"

Karai's face turned cold. "Suit yourself." She threw the mask at Kayla's feet. "Let's go," she commanded her soldiers.

Kayla jerked out of the Foot bots' grip, but before she could take another step, something heavy slammed into the back of her head.

A searing pain erupted in her skull.

And the world went black.

 **Please review.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Ugh...my head..." Kayla's eyes fluttered open. "Where...?" It took a moment for her brain to register the scene in front of her, but when it did, her pulse skyrocketed.

She was hanging thirty feet in the air, suspended by her wrists above a vat of glowing green ooze. A noise that might've been a squeak came from her mouth.

"Look who's awake." On a catwalk close to the female turtle, Karai leaned against the rail with her arms crossed. "Comfortable?"

Kayla grimaced. "Extremely," she replied, sarcasm fairly dripping from the word. In fact, her arm sockets were aching from the stress her weight was putting on them, her skull was pounding from the beating it had taken, and her fingers were starting to go numb. But she wasn't about to tell that to Karai. "What am I doing here?"

In answer, the kunoichi straightened up and started pacing the length of the catwalk. "By this time, Donatello has no doubt hacked the tracer in your leg and used it to locate you. They'll be here within the hour. And the Foot will be waiting."

"So I'm bait."

"Don't think of yourself as just bait, Kayla. You're really the glue that's holding this entire plan together."

The turtle rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the pain in her shoulders. "Great," she muttered. "I always wanted to be glue."

Karai laughed and started to walk out of the room. "You're a riot, Brent. If things had been different, we might've even been friends." The door shut behind her with a resounding _clang._

Kayla sighed wearily, her head sagging. _How the shell do I always end up in these situations?_

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

The faint beeping was what woke him. Donnie's head snapped up, his bleary eyes widening. The genius shot up from the cot and hurried over to his desk. "Holy shell," he whispered. His feet pounded across the floor as he raced from the lab. "Leo! Leo!"

Leo appeared from his bedroom, weapons already drawn and the sleepiness fading from his face. "What is it, Donnie? What's wrong?"

Donnie stared steadily into his brother's eyes. "I found her."

Five minutes later, the four turtles were dressed, armed, and speeding down the streets in the Shellraiser. The few people who were out on the streets at three in the morning paid them no attention.

"All right, Don. Where is she?"

The purple-clad turtle knew that Leo wouldn't like it, but he had to say it. "She's at Shredder's lair."

Leo's grip on the steering wheel tightened, his knuckles whitening. Mercifully, the others gave him space, even as they felt the vehicle speed up and saw the road pass by faster beneath them.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

Karai rushed into the room as soon as the alarms went off. Kayla raised her head, revealing the hollow look in her eyes. "If I didn't know better," the turtle began, "I'd say that you were afraid, Karai."

The kunoichi's snarl was the only response Kayla received.

Kayla grinned smugly. "Ooh, you _are_ afraid...Did your 'plan' not work out like you hoped?"

"It's just extra precaution," Karai replied, trying to regain control of her emotions.

"It won't work. They will tear this place apart."

Karai's eye twitched, then her expression turned cold. She leaned onto the panel that controlled the winch Kayla was hanging from, pressing a button. Kayla gasped as she dropped a few feet closer to the mutagen. Her right shoulder gave a sickening _pop_ and she bit back a scream of agony.

"Oops," the armor-clad girl said. "My finger slipped."

Kayla's face was contorted in pain, her breathing ragged. "I...officially...hate you."

"That makes two of us!" came Donnie's voice.

The female turtle grinned faintly and Karai whipped around, her eyes widening. Raph brandished his sai. "Hey, sweetheart. Miss us?"

Leo jumped down from the rafters, landing in a crouch between the two girls. "Initiate Plan Theta," he ordered. He leapt at Karai, his eyes turning white. Their swords met with a ringing sound that echoed through the room.

Kayla felt a weight land on the winch above her, the impact jarring her bad shoulder. The brunette hissed as white-hot pain radiated from the wounded joint. Donnie looked concerned.

"Hang on, Kayla," he told her, sawing at the ropes.

"What the shell do you _think_ I'm doing?" she cried.

"D, even _I_ know that you just made a bad pun," Mikey announced, back-to-back with Raph as they battled oncoming Foot soldiers.

"Well, excuse me," the genius retorted. The rope snapped. Donnie grabbed her right wrist to keep her from falling and she screamed. He paled, noticing the bruising around her collarbone and shoulder. "I'm sorry," he stammered. "I didn't mean to-"

Kayla cut him off. "Just pull me up!" she yelled.

Donnie took a deep breath and _heaved,_ trying to ignore the way she gritted her teeth and screwed her eyes shut and let out a string of curses. When she had sagged into his arms, the purple-banded turtle looked at his younger brother. "I've got her!"

Mikey grinned, fishing in his belt and pulling something out. "Later!" he called to Karai, throwing down the smoke bomb. Thick purple smoke filled the lab, and when it cleared, the five turtles were nowhere to be found.

"Karai," Rocksteady began as he entered the room. "Shredder is wanting to know how plan with turtles girl is doing." The kunoichi swore at him, staring at the empty winch. "So...is not well, da?" the rhino dared.

Karai screamed in anger and frustration, storming from the room.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

 **Author's Note:**

Hey, guys! I had a request to make the story a bit lighter - and I will admit that I was a little carried away with angst. XD So I'm trying to make the guys more successful in their missions, haha. (Otherwise, this would have ended very differently... _*_ cough* *cough* brain worm *cough*)

If you guys have any suggestions as to how I might be able to make the story happier, please **let me know.** It would mean a shell of a lot to me if you'd give me a comment or review.

Until next time, guys...COWABUNGA!

 **Please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Guys, I am so sorry for the mix-up. I apparently accidently posted the 15th chapter of "The Girl With Two Faces" instead of the 15th chapter of "Love in a Half-Shell." I am really sorry for doing that - I had just finished working on that chapter for TGWTF and I guess it was on my mind... (You got an unintentional preview of TGWTF chapter 15, haha...)**

 **Again, sorry for the mix-up. I know that a lot of you were probably asking why the heck there was suddenly a character named Alex, and what she had to do with Kayla and Leo. XD**

 **Here's the real chapter 15 for LiaHS.**

 **Quick Note:** _I promise that this chapter is a lot more cheerful than the last couple - and there's some fluff in here that might make you grin a little. At least, I hope so. ;)_

 **Chapter 15**

"Well, I have good news and bad news," Donnie announced once they were back at the Lair. He'd had a good look at the female mutant and decided that she wasn't in that bad of a state. There was a small gash on the back of her head that would need to be cleaned, and of course, her shoulder...

On the couch, Kayla closed her eyes and let her head fall against the armrest. "What's the good news?"

"The good news is that your shoulder is just dislocated and that I can fix it. The bad news is that it's going to hurt. A lot."

She was silent for a moment. "Just do it," she said finally.

Donnie hesitated, then took off his mask and slipped between her teeth. "Bite down on this," he instructed. "I don't know how badly it'll hurt, and I don't want you pulling away and injuring yourself."

"Again, you mean," Kayla muttered around the cloth. The genius pretended not to hear as he gripped her arm.

"Raph, hold her still." Raph nodded at his brother's request and put a firm hand on the brunette's good shoulder. Donnie took a deep breath and started to pull.

Kayla hissed through gritted teeth, squeezing her eyes shut. A muffled yelp reached Donnie's ears just as a _pop_ sounded. The female turtle gasped, going limp. An expression of relief grew on her face. "Thank you," she murmured, flexing her arm.

Donnie smiled gently. "You're welcome. Now, let me take a look at that leg."

Twenty minutes later, Kayla was back on the couch with an icepack pressed against her leg. Donnie had removed the tracker and bandaged her leg up, but the wound still ached a little. The brunette met Master Splinter's eyes as she finished her account of the events that had happened to her over the past few days.

"Then Karai told me that Shredder would be happy to have a turtle on his side," Kayla said. She hesitated, as if debating about something. "I told her no," she finished. Leo got the feeling that she had left something out, but that suspicion was replaced by anger when he remembered how she'd been treated. A scowl appeared on his face, and Kayla flinched slightly.

Master Splinter nodded. "It seems as if Karai was close to succeeding in her goals." He turned to Leo and his brothers. "Well done, my sons."

"Thank you, Sensei," they chorused.

"And now, it is time for bed. Leonardo, would you kindly assist Miss Brent?"

"Hai, Sensei." Leo stretched and got up from the chair he'd been occupying, helping Kayla up. As he guided her down the hallway after the others, she glanced at him, trying to gauge his mood.

"Leo?" she asked tentatively.

"Yeah?"

"About Karai...was she your girlfriend?" At the question, his eyebrows drew together in a frown, and she hurried to elaborate. "I mean, it's a personal question and you don't have to answer if you don't-"

Leo sighed, cutting her off. "When I first met Karai, I guess I liked her. I trusted her...until one mission that we were on."

"What happened?"

"She left us to clean up her mess," he finished darkly. "The other guys got hurt. After that, I got over her. Why?"

Kayla flushed. "I just...I just wondered, is all."

A grin started to creep across Leo's face. "Kayla Brent, were you jealous?"

"No!" That came out a little _too_ defensive. "No, I wasn't," she amended, trying to cover for her mistake.

Now he smiled widely, showing his perfect white teeth. "I think you were." She squealed as he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.

"Leo, put me down!" Kayla cried, laughing. From his room, Raph yelled at them to be quiet. The blue-clad leader ignored Kayla's request and kept walking, right past the door to her room. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," Leo replied cryptically. He opened a small door at the end of the hallway then slipped his bandana over her eyes, turning it so it acted like a blindfold. After a long walk down the hallway, she felt him climb a flight of stairs, then a second, and then a third.

Kayla shivered slightly as night air suddenly ghosted along her skin, sending goose bumps racing across her arms. Leo set her down on something that felt suspiciously like grass.

"All right," he said. "You can look now."

The brunette pulled off his bandana and her eyes widened. She gasped. Leo had brought her to a small hill that overlooked the city. Millions of lights glimmered in the distance, and fireflies lazily drifted on the cool summer breeze. "It's beautiful," she whispered.

Leo's smile was a beacon in the fading sunlight. "You like it?"

Her eyes glistened with tears and she nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She lay back in the thick green grass, inhaling the sweet scents of clover and strawberries. "How did you know?" she asked finally.

"Know what?"

"How did you know that I loved doing this?" Kayla elaborated.

Leo fingered a blade of grass. "I overheard you talking to Mikey about it one day. I figured you would like this place."

The brunette gazed up at the twinkling stars above, her heart aching a little. "Dad and I used to do this when I was young. He would take me out to this little cabin in the woods for a day or two, and we would just lie beneath the stars. It was...It was peaceful."

"What about your mom?" Leo asked.

Kayla exhaled slowly. "She never stayed around much, because she and Dad didn't really get along. Eventually they got divorced. She lives in Florida now, dating her dream guy. Dad died in an accident when I was thirteen. Some punk mugged him, and shot him when he tried to defend himself." She swallowed, a tear making its way down her cheek. "A family... _friend_ took me in, but he didn't really like me...I was left on my own a lot."

"I'm sorry," Leo said softly. Then he winced. "I know that you were probably told that a lot when it happened."

"It's fine, Leo. I...thank you." She closed her eyes again, and Leo took her hand, caressing it gently.

After a while, he spoke, sounding troubled. "You know that I wouldn't have let them hurt you, right?"

The question was so abrupt and unexpected that Kayla actually laughed a little. "I knew that you would come for me. I never doubted you."

The leader was quiet for a moment. Then he broke the silence again. "I missed you," he admitted. "And I know that I shouldn't blame myself, but I could've...I should've done something to help you."

The female turtle rolled over onto her side, facing him. "Do you want to know something?" He nodded, looking a bit unsure. "I like being a mutant."

Leo blinked in surprise. "You...you do?"

"Of course I do. There are so many good things about it that I never had before. A family, a place to live... You."

"Me?" He smiled.

"You," she repeated. She stood, pulling Leo with her. "Come on. We should go. It's almost two o'clock, and you have training in a few hours."

Leo put a hand on her waist to stop her. "Wait. I was wondering if...well, if you wanted to try again."

Kayla flushed, a sly smirk appearing on her face. She tilted her head up, offering. Without hesitation, Leo gently brought her lips to his.

And this time, she kissed back.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

 **Author's Note:**

 **There. That was a bit happier, don't you think? :D**

 **Please review.**


	16. Chapter 16

_Hey, guys! I know that this chapter has been a long time in coming...but I've written several more chapters after this one! :D_

 _Anyway, here's chapter 16 (and thank you for being very patient with me)._

 **Chapter 16**

They returned to the Lair, only to find Raph waiting in the hallway, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "And where have you two been for the past two and a half hours?" he asked, suspicion heavy in his voice.

"Leo showed me something," Kayla explained. She glanced at the blue-masked turtle and her expression softened. "Something I haven't seen in a very long time."

Raph snorted. "Was it common sense?"

The brunette glared at him. "You wish. If you're lucky, he might show _you_ some one day."

Leo coughed to hide a laugh as Raph raised his eye ridges. "You got guts, I'll give you that." He slammed his fist into the wall next to Kayla's head, smirking when she flinched. "But don't get cocky."

She said nothing as the hothead stomped off across the Lair and into his room. "Well," she began after a moment. "He certainly knows how to make a girl feel welcome."

Leo laughed again, but then his face grew serious. "Come on. We should get some sleep. I have a feeling that it's gonna be a long day."

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

He was right. Master Splinter trained the boys for hours, and had Kayla join in as much as she was able. After a particularly grueling sparring session, the rat stated that training was concluded for the day. Donnie promptly collapsed, panting. Mikey sped into the kitchen yelling "PIZZA BREAK!" at the top of his lungs, and Raph stalked to his room and slammed the door, grumbling at the beating Leo had given him.

Kayla waited patiently for the blue-masked turtle to finish talking with Master Splinter before she left the dojo. Finally, Leo bowed to his teacher and joined her, rubbing his bicep where Mikey's nunchuck had left a rapidly darkening bruise.

"Hey, tiger," she greeted him, smiling contentedly as he put his other arm around her. The two turtles walked into the main room and crashed on the couch to watch a new episode of _Space Heroes._ Leo ignored the looks he was getting from Donnie and the kissing sounds that were coming from the kitchen.

"You trained well today, Miss Brent," Splinter complimented as he walked by. "Excellent job."

She glowed at the praise. "Thank you, Sensei."

"Shh," Leo said. "It's starting."

Raph walked in as the theme was playing. "I can't believe you still watch this. You have to be the only people in New York that do."

"No way," Leo shot back. "There are plenty of Spacenicks out there. We just don't know any of them."

"Yeah," Kayla added. "There have to be in order to air this show as often as they do."

Raph huffed and plopped down on his beanbag, offering no further comment. But Kayla had a feeling that he was watching the show too – and the playful glimmer in the hothead's eyes only added to her suspicion. Feeling her gaze on him, Raph winked.

She stuck her tongue out at him.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

Half an hour later, Leo stood up and stretched, turning off the TV. He offered his hand to help Kayla up, but when she accepted, the leader did something that she wasn't expecting.

Leo pulled her to his plastron and spun her around. A squeal escaped Kayla's lips, and she laughed as he led her around the living room floor, dancing to music only the two of them could hear.

From the kitchen, Mikey and Donnie watched. Mikey grinned as his oldest brother dipped the brunette. Donnie noted the twinkle in Leo's eyes. "He's... _happy,_ " the genius murmured. "I never thought that...I mean, after Karai..."

Raph joined them, leaning against the kitchen doorway. "Yeah, well...it's okay with me if Fearless Leader wants her. She's not bad." Seeing the shocked looks on Mikey's and Donnie's faces, he scowled. "What?" he asked defensively. A flush crept into his cheeks.

"Nothing," Donnie replied, shaking his head. Even _Raph_ liked her? Raph, who was so peevish about everything and everyone? "Absolutely nothing."

Eventually, Kayla collapsed on the couch, her plastron heaving. Leo sketched a comical bow, pretending to remove a top hat. Clapping that wasn't her own drew the female turtle's attention, and she bit her lip to smother more laughter.

Mikey came out of the kitchen, grinning. "Bravo, dude!" he said as he clapped Leo on the shell. "You guys were bringing down the house!"

Leo reddened, but smiled anyway. "Thanks, Mikey."

Kayla shook her head at their teasing comments as she walked towards her bedroom, intending on getting some sleep – it had taken a lot out of her to train like she did earlier. But when she turned the corner, she got a face full of red kimono. Her eyes widened. "Master Splinter, I am so sorry! I didn't-"

The aging rat chuckled. "No harm done." Splinter cocked his head, gazing at her for a moment. "I sense you are confused about something." It was a statement, not a question.

Kayla tried to find a way out of the conversation. "Er, well, Sensei, it's not-"

"Have you talked to Donatello about it? Or perhaps Leonardo?" A flush settled on Kayla's face. Splinter stroked his goatee and nodded. "Hmm...I see. Come, let us talk about it."

Helplessly, she followed him, protesting that she really didn't need to talk at all; she just needed some food and a good long nap and she'd be fine. But her protests fell on deaf ears, and Splinter led her into the dojo and took a seat under the large, soaring tree.

"Please, sit," he said kindly.

Kayla did as she was asked, wondering where this was headed. "Sensei, all I need to do is rest."

Splinter shook his head. "No, Miss Brent. I believe that you need to talk. The first step to solving a problem is to have someone listen to you. My ear is, in fact, open at this moment."

His gaze was so open and honest that she found herself telling the old rat everything, from how she met Leo to her feelings for him. Splinter was quiet, nodding to her tale. When she finally finished, he closed his eyes.

"I will meditate upon this information, and perhaps we will be able to find a solution to help clear your confusion, yes?"

The brunette nodded, copying the lotus position. He smiled at her, and she closed her eyes, concentrating on clearing her thoughts.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

"Leo," Donnie called from the lab. There was something in his tone that the leader couldn't exactly pin down, but he stopped anyway.

"What is it, Don?"

"You need to see this."

Ten minutes later, Leo was leaning against the wall of the lab. A headache pounded in his skull, and he rubbed his temples in an effort to relieve it. Donnie had found plans that the Kraang had made – and the odds weren't looking good. They had planted two – not one, but _two_ – mutagen bombs on the rooftops of Manhattan. And to complicate things further, the bombs were set to go off within the next hour.

"Leo?" Mikey said tentatively. The leader's head snapped up and he realized that he had yet to give an order. Mikey's expression betrayed his worry. "What do we do?"

"We'll have to split up," Leo replied, meeting his youngest brother's eyes. "There's no way that we can defuse both of them in time as a team. Raph, take Don and go to the bomb on Wolfe Tower. Mike and I will take care of the other one."

They nodded and left to strap on their gear, Raph's face grim. Kayla walked in just as they were leaving. She frowned at Raph's expression. "What's going on?"

Alone in the lab, Leo wished that one of his brothers were there to answer. "Something's come up," he told Kayla. "The guys and I – we have to go deal with the Kraang. They put up some mutagen bombs again."

"I'll come," she offered, ignoring the way her palms became slick with sweat at the mere mention of the aliens.

"No," Leo said immediately. "I don't want you...I don't want you going out there."

Besides the fact that the mutagen bombs were dangerous, he didn't want the Kraang around her anymore. They wouldn't hurt her ever again if he could help it.

"Why not?" Hurt flashed in those hazel eyes. "I could help-"

"You're not ready yet."

"I'm plenty ready! Besides, what if you need an extra set of hands?"

Leo's jaw tightened. "I said no. That's final."

"What are you so afraid of?!" she pushed, searching his face, his eyes.

"I'm not afraid of anything!" he retorted, avoiding her gaze. _Except losing you again._

Kayla's eyes narrowed. "You know," she said coldly, "For all the things that you can manage to do, Leonardo, you're a terrible liar." That said, she turned on her heel and stalked to her room, slamming the door. Leo winced.

Donnie and Mikey came into the main room to see what all the fuss was about. "Dude," Mikey began. "What was that?"

"Kayla," Raph said from where he was leaning against the wall, pointing to the still-quivering bedroom door.

"What'd you do?"

"Leo won't let her come along," the hothead explained, leveling a glance at the aforementioned leader.

"That's a good thing, though," Mikey said. "Isn't it?"

"It doesn't matter," Leo snapped. "We have to go now. Did someone tell Master Splinter?" Donnie nodded. "Good. Right now we have to crush some Kraang."

And somewhere deep inside, the leader realized exactly what he'd heard in Donnie's voice. It matched the tone of Kayla's words all too well.

Fear.

 **Please review.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Inside her bedroom, Kayla leaned against her door with her arms crossed. A scowl contorted her features, and her mood turned dark with anger and a little bit of hurt. She didn't want to be left behind – not again. Last time someone had held her back, someone very close to her had died. At the thought, a stab of phantom pain lanced through Kayla's forearm. She rubbed at the old scar – a long, jagged line that traced a path from her wrist to her elbow.

The memory flashed through her mind and Kayla squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the echo of a young boy's tortured screams, a mother's sobs, a father's swearing. The wailing of a siren, the crackling of a fire...and the explosion that had blown her world apart. She slid down the metal to the floor and wrapping her arms around her knees. _I can't do this again. I can't. I can't. I can't._

She must've fallen asleep at some point, because the next thing the female turtle knew, voices reached her ears from the main room. Without a second thought, Kayla jumped up and flung open her door, ignoring the stiffness of her muscles as she raced into the living area...and tackled Leo to the floor.

His brothers burst out laughing as the leader landed on his shell with a grunt. "Kayla-"

The teen's eyes blazed and she slapped him hard across the face. Leo yelped, raising a hand to his stinging cheek. "What the shell was that for?!"

"Don't you _ever_ do that to me again!"

The brunette felt strong hands grip her arms and haul her off of the prone turtle. Raph kept a firm grip on her bicep even as she took a step away, watching Mikey help Leo up from the floor.

Leo winced, a hand going to his lower plastron, and Kayla finally noticed that all four turtles looked much the worse for wear. Mikey's forearm and left thigh had been hastily wrapped with now-bloodstained bandages; Raph was barely putting weight on his right ankle; and Donnie was leaning heavily on his Bo staff as blood trickled down his cheek from a gash on his forehead.

"What happened to you guys?" she asked, gasping a little.

Donnie sighed. "We took out the bombs, but there were too many Kraang. We barely escaped with our lives."

"But you _did_ escape, and for that we should be grateful." All eyes turned to Master Splinter and the ninja bowed, despite their battered state. "You four have come home despite all the odds that were turned against you. You have improved much since I started teaching you – and have proven to be less overconfident than you were before."

Leo smiled faintly. "Thank you, Sensei," he replied. Then his expression contorted and a gasp escaped his lips. Mikey put an arm under his brother's shoulders and helped him into the lab, the others following close behind.

Kayla was left alone in the main room, anger and helplessness surging through her. A tiny voice echoed inside her mind.

 _They don't want you here,_ it said tauntingly. _Leo showed you that when he didn't let you go with them._

"Shut up," she whispered, tears springing to her eyes.

 _You're dead weight, and you know it._

"Shut up."

 _And you won't be able to save them. They'll die, just like everyone else you loved. Just like your -_

"Shut up!" Kayla screamed, squeezing her eyes shut. Mikey stuck his head out of the lab, a question in his eyes. The brunette gave him an apologetic smile and calmly began walking to her room – but as soon as he went back to whatever he was doing, she bolted.

Out of the Lair. And into the night beyond.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

The female turtle finally stopped running when she reached her old apartment building, climbed up the rickety fire escape and through her window, and slammed the warped panes shut behind her. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears and sweat beaded on her forehead as she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle from the countertop. She chugged half of it in one breath.

Her thirst sated, Kayla sank to the kitchen floor and closed her eyes, wishing for a moment that she wasn't a mutant, that she had her old life back – one that wasn't full of aliens and mutagen and an evil overlord intent on hunting her down to kill her.

Suddenly, searing pain shot through her bones. Liquid fire burned in her veins, and agony lanced across her torso each time she took a breath. A roaring sound filled Kayla's ears, and the world tilted as the floor rushed up to meet her.

The brunette awoke a few minutes later, groaning...and freezing. The tile underneath her suddenly seemed so much colder than before. She placed a hand on the floor to push herself up.

And froze, taking her tanned, flesh-colored skin. Not yet daring to believe her eyes, Kayla ran into her bedroom and stood before the full-length mirror on her closet door. A small scream tore from her throat.

Somehow, inexplicably, Kayla was fully human again. All five feet six inches of her, from the tips of her toes to her long brown hair. Tears began to roll down her cheeks, and she made no move to wipe them away.

Opening the closet, the brunette rifled through the rack of clothes. A flash of blue caught her attention, and a wicked grin appeared on her face. It was time to have some fun.

 **So this was a short chapter, I know...but there are more coming soon. I mean it this time, haha.**

 **Please review.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Panic played openly across Leo's face as he searched the Lair. "Any sign of her?" he asked his brothers anxiously. Each of them shook their heads, and the leader's heart sank. "Something's wrong."

"Where would Kayla have gone?" Donnie wondered aloud. "She can't just walk around on the surface, and she doesn't know the sewer system like we do."

Leo paled at his brother's words, at the terrifying thought that appeared in his mind. "What if she's lost in the tunnels?" he whispered. "She could be hurt, or even-"

No. He wouldn't think about that.

"I'm sure she's fine," Mikey replied calmly, even as a glint of worry shone in his baby blue eyes. "Kayla's smart. She can take care of herself."

Before he could say anything else, a siren came from the lab. Donnie rushed over to his computer and started typing furiously.

"But if that's...then that means...and then..."

"Yo, Donnie," Mikey interrupted. "We have no idea what you're saying here, bro."

The genius looked up from his screen, blinking. "Sorry, guys. What did you say?"

Raph rolled his eyes, whacking Donnie on the back of the head. "What's going through your mind right now, Brainiac?"

Donnie rubbed the stinging area and turned back to the computer. "I set up a system that would track mutants automatically, and if there was a problem, the alarm would go off."

"What kind of problem?" Leo leaned over to look at the monitor, his worry abating for a moment.

"If mutants are seen in public, I'll get a notification. Or if they attack someone – or get attacked themselves," Donnie explained.

"So why'd it go off?" Raph asked.

"The sensor in a club was tripped about five minutes ago."

"So?"

"So the security feeds aren't picking up on any mutants. Everyone is human. Look."

The blue-clad leader moved closer to watch the videos, and his eyes narrowed. "Rewind it a little. Zoom in right there."

Donnie shook his head, not understanding. "I don't see anything out of the ordinary, Leo."

"Watch who enters the club."

Donnie inhaled sharply. "Is that... _Kayla?_ But...but how?"

"She's human!" Mikey observed, his eyes wide.

Raph growled, a hand going to his sai. It didn't matter what Leo said this time. One way or another, he was going to get answers.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

The beat of the music pounded through Kayla's very core, sweeping over her. It sung in her veins as she made her way off of the dance floor and over to the bar. "Hey, Cole!" she greeted the bartender.

The man turned, his gold eyes glinting in the strobe lights. "Kayla! What you been up to?"

Kayla smiled at her old friend. "Same old, same old. Can I get the usual?"

Cole grinned back. "Still not touching the alcohol, huh?" He laughed and handed her a sweet tea with a lemon when she shook her head determinedly. Kayla took a long drink, sighing in appreciation...which was abruptly cut short as Cole's eyes widened. "Who are they?"

The brunette turned to see who he was talking about and dread curled in her stomach. _Great._ Four men entered the bar, each dressed in a shirt of a different color: blue, red, purple, and orange. "I'll be right back," Kayla said to the bartender. "You don't know me, okay?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "Are you in trouble? Are they looking for you?"

She grimaced. "You could...say that."

"Don't worry. They'll be too busy to find you," Cole said with a twinkle in his eye. He turned to the DJ, grinning. "Yo! Crank it up for the couples' dance, Mac!"

Mac noticed Kayla, gave her a mock salute – to which she rolled her eyes – and pulled out his microphone "All right, ladies and gentlemen! You know what time it is! Everyone grab a partner and head out to the dance floor!"

As Kayla watched, the music changed to a booming, echoing song and the four brothers got swept onto the floor by a cheering wave of girls. She turned and nodded her thanks to Cole, then disappeared into the crowd.

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

Raph cursed under his breath, trying to detangle himself from the blonde who was determined to hold onto his arm. "Where you goin', sweetie?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at him. "Tryin' ta find a place fer us ta get together?"

The hothead almost gagged at the thought and wrenched his arm away, trying to ignore the gouges in his skin that her nails had left. "Get lost," he replied, snarling a little.

Blondie poked her lower lip out. "Whaddya mean?" she whined. "Doncha like me?"

"No," Raph said abruptly, leaving the dance floor – and the blonde – behind. "Stupid parasite chick," he muttered, slumping into the booth that Donnie was currently occupying. He started scanning the club, smirking a little at the sight of his two other brothers surrounded by women, but then he froze. Green eyes narrowed at the sight of long brown hair and a royal-blue mini dress. _Gotcha._

With a quick explanation to Donnie, Raph ducked out of the booth and up the stairs to the second level. But the elusive brunette was nowhere to be found. Just as he was about to go back, Raph caught the movement of the ladies' bathroom door swinging shut. Gritting his teeth, the disguised turtle slipped into the bathroom, hoping and praying that no one would see him.

The bathroom was completely empty, however – which was both a blessing and a curse, because that meant that Kayla was nowhere to be seen. Raph's hands tightened into fists. "Where the shell did you go?" he muttered. There were no other exits, no way that she could've gotten away from him.

Except for the window...through which a rapidly cooling night breeze was blowing.

"Shell," Raph swore.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Kayla knelt by the grave in turtle form, her head bowed. The headstone read,

 _Johnathan Brent  
Beloved Father and Husband  
1969 – 2013_

The brunette hesitated, then spoke in a low voice filled with sadness. "Hi, Dad...I'm sorry I haven't come to see you in a while. I'm doing all right for the most part. I've...changed some since you last saw me. I had to move again...I'm living with these awesome guys who've been taking care of me. Their dad is really nice. They're all different than everyone else. I think you'd like them a lot."

Tears welled up in Kayla's eyes and she took a deep breath. "There's this one guy, Leonardo. He's pretty special. I-I like him, Dad." Her throat threatened to close up, and it was a moment before she could speak again. "I wish you were here with me. I wish that we were out in the country again, like when I was little. I miss you, Daddy. I miss you so much."

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

Leo's phone buzzed. He read the message from Raph and his eyes narrowed. A few short steps took him up to the bar. "Hey, bartender."

The man turned, and his expression changed fleetingly. Leo saw it nonetheless. A look of brief panic, a look of worry, and one of hostility all crossed his face within seconds, but then his expression slipped into neutrality. "What can I get for you?"

"A glass of coke. Plenty of ice," Leo replied, leaning on the bar.

"Sure." The man handed the requested drink to the leader. "I've never seen you here before. You new?"

Leo took a drink. "You could say that. I'm looking for someone. A girl, about twenty-one years old. Long brown hair, blue dress, brown eyes. You seen her?"

Cole snorted. "There are a lotta girls here, pal. Half of 'em got brown hair and blue dresses. Most of 'em won't even get close enough to let me see the color of their eyes."

At this point, Leo's temper sparked, cracking the carefully constructed walls it was normally locked away in. He slammed his fist down on the top of the bar, some small part of him grateful that no one was paying any attention to them. "That wasn't a request," he said in a low, dangerous voice. "Where. Is. She?"

The blond man cringed, his eyes darting around nervously. "I h-haven't seen the girl you're talkin' about, pal."

Despite himself, Leo was almost impressed by Cole's persistence and courage. Almost. The leader was saved from the inevitable explosion of his anger when his brothers appeared behind him. "There a problem, Leo?" Raph asked, glaring at Cole and cracking his knuckles. "This pipsqueak not talkin'?"

Cole backed up against the racks of wine and beer behind the counter. "Hey, look, buddy. I don't want any trouble."

Raph's face split in a cold smile – almost as if he'd been hoping for that response. "What a shame. We, on the other hand, do."

Two minutes later, Cole found himself slammed against the brick wall of an alleyway. Sweat slipped down his face as Raph leaned in close, keeping one arm against Cole's throat.

"We're not gonna ask again. Where is Kayla?" His breath was hot on the bartender's face, and Cole didn't miss the dark glint in those electric green eyes. "I want the truth." Raph stopped as if thinking, then he gestured to Leo. "Well, _he_ wants the truth," he amended.

Cole let out an audible gulp, and Mikey snickered. "I-I don't know. She left earlier, but I don't know where she went. Why do you want her so badly?"

Donnie glanced at his watch, ignoring the last question. "Guys, we have to get back home. It'll be getting light soon."

"We haven't found her yet!" Leo began, anger surfacing in his tone once more.

Mikey piped up. "Why don't you just let him lead us to Kayla?"

A smirk grew on Raph's face and he cracked his neck. "That's a good idea, little brother." Something in Raph's voice made Cole pale, but Leo stepped forward.

"Fine. We'll split up. Don, Mike, you guys go back and see if she's home yet. Raph and I'll keep looking for her up here." Donnie nodded and they disappeared into the shadows of the alley. That done, Leo drew closer to Cole. "Where does she normally go?"

Cole hesitated...which earned him a hard punch to the face, courtesy of Raph. The barkeep spit out some blood, wincing at his now-throbbing jaw. "I don't know. I haven't seen her in a while." He flinched when Raph raised his fist again. "Okay, okay! Try back at her apartment. She always went stargazing on her roof." _Lie._

The truth was, Cole didn't want to tell them about Kayla's hangouts. They were undeniably dangerous, and he didn't want her getting hurt. The man was snapped out of his thoughts as Raph picked him up and slung him over one shoulder.

"Come on," the red-clad man said. "If she's not there, you're gonna help us find her."

 **TMNT/TMNT/TMNT**

Kayla rubbed her tearstained cheeks and stood, swaying a little on her feet. She was exhausted. By now, it was past four o'clock in the morning – and already, there were sounds of people on the streets. She had to get back to the Lair and soon.

Taking the back way out of the cemetery, Kayla ducked down an alleyway, slipping into a manhole and closing the cover after herself. It wasn't long before she made it to the Lair. She looked around the main living area, but it appeared that everyone was asleep still. Even Leo wouldn't wake up until five o'clock.

The brunette crept down the hall to her bedroom, holding her blue mini-dress close to her plastron. She had just hung up the shimmering material when a voice made her freeze.

"Having fun?"

Kayla let out a squeak of fear, turning guiltily. Donnie stood in the doorway, staring at her with his arms crossed. "Where have you been for the past five hours, Kayla?" he asked.

"Um..."

"Do you know how worried we all were? I'm very disappointed in you. I have a feeling that Leo will be too." A rush of shame filled Kayla as the genius dialed his oldest brother. "Hey, Leo. We found her. Yeah, she came back to the Lair. Uh huh. Okay. All right. Oh, and don't forget to return her friend. Yeah, okay. Bye."

Kayla's eyes widened at 'return her friend.' "Did you guys kidnap Cole? You did, didn't you?!"

Donnie turned a disapproving eye on her. "We had to find some way to locate you."

"You didn't hurt him, right?"

The purple-masked turtle shrugged. "Depends on Raph's mood," he replied noncommittally.

 _"Raph's mood?!"_ she repeated. "You let _Raph_ watch him? Are you insane?!"

In the main room, Mikey's voice rang out. "Hey, Leo! Where were you guys?"

Kayla swallowed. It was time to face the music.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

The brunette tried not to look at anyone except Mikey, because everyone else was watching her with misgivings. It hurt to see the expression on Leo's face in particular. His eyes were cold, and he had said almost nothing to her since they returned.

Kayla looked at her feet, avoiding their searching gazes. "I just wanted some time...I had to work through some things. I haven't had a normal life in months, and I figured that it would be okay-"

"But it's not!" Leo interrupted, the dam finally obliterated by his anger. "You can't go out there, Kayla! It's dangerous for mutants. That's why we only go out when it's dark. We _certainly_ don't go to a very crowded club with lots of flashing lights where we can be seen easily. What the shell were you _thinking?"_

Master Splinter saw Kayla's flinch. "Leonardo," he admonished. "We do not yell at our guests."

The leader gritted his teeth, but inclined his head. "I'm sorry, Sensei."

Donnie looked thoughtful. "How did you do it?"

Kayla's head snapped up. "What?"

"I think he's wondering how you made yourself human," Raph explained gruffly, nursing his Cherry Coke.

The teen sighed, her hair creating a curtain around her face. "After you guys rescued me from the Kraang base, I found something...different about myself."

"That is not uncommon," Splinter mused. "Captivity can alter many aspects of a person's nature."

"Yeah, but not like that," Kayla replied, beginning to pace. "I thought that whatever experiments the Kraang had done had no effect on me. I was wrong." Now she looked up, meeting their eyes. "Earlier tonight, I went back to my apartment just to be alone for a little while. I was so hurt – so afraid – that I just wished that everything would go back to the way it was before. Back when I was human."

And there it was. That look of hurt in Leo's eyes, the expression of betrayal that swept over his face. Kayla swallowed but kept going. "All of a sudden, this wave of pain washed over me. I couldn't move, couldn't even think. I passed out. And when I woke up..."

"What?" Donnie prodded, literally on the edge of his seat. He was hanging on every word.

"I was human," the brunette finished quietly. "And later, I thought about being a turtle again, and I transformed."

"Can you show us?" he asked, a spark of curiosity in his gaze.

Kayla nodded, but she first grabbed Mikey's huge sweatshirt off of the back of the couch and pulled it on. Then she took a deep breath and _thought._ The pain wasn't nearly as bad as the first time, but it still made her sway on her feet.

Donnie caught her and carried her back to the couch, setting her down. Leo stared at her for a moment, taking in her tanned skin and long legs. Then he abruptly reddened when he realized that all she had on was the sweatshirt. "Maybe you want to change back now?" he suggested.

"Why?" Mikey asked. "I think she looks pretty. Don't you, Leo?"

Raph snorted...then abruptly started coughing as soda went up his nose. Leo glared at Mikey as he pounded the hothead's shell.

Kayla's eyes glinted with ill-concealed humor as she shifted back to turtle form. She pulled off the sweatshirt when the transformation was complete.

Donnie stepped close, studying her. "This is amazing! I've never seen anything like it!"

Leo cleared his throat. "Don, you might want to let go of her jaw and stop examining her like she's a horse."

The genius let go of Kayla's mouth and stepped back, embarrassed. "Sorry," he said sheepishly.

Kayla worked her jaw, trying to bring back some feeling. "It's fine," she managed.

"Whoa!" Mikey exclaimed. "Can I do that?"

"No," Raph said flatly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"But-"

"Mikey!" The red-masked turtle rounded on his youngest brother. "Have you been kidnapped by the Kraang?"

"No, but-"

"Have you been subjected to terrible experiments?"

"No, but-"

"Then you can't do that. Understand?"

"But-"

Raph gave up and cracked his knuckles. "Fine, then." Mikey started screaming as Raph chased him around the lair.

A laugh escaped Kayla's lips, and she hurriedly clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle it. Splinter cleared his throat, interrupting her thoughts.

"Miss Brent," the aging rat began gravely. "May I speak with you?"

At the request, tension filled her shoulders. "Hai, Sensei," she replied. He led her into the dojo and bade her to sit.

"Are you all right, my child?"

The brunette blinked. "I'm...yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"You seem to have been conflicted as of late," Splinter explained.

Kayla couldn't help it. She blurted out, "Leo's been really closed off to me lately...I think he's hiding something."

"Perhaps," he mused. "However, if it concerns you, Leonardo will reveal it when the time is right."

"But what if...what if it's about Karai?" Kayla whispered, tears stinging her eyes. After all, the kunoichi _had_ insinuated...

Laughter filled the room, so unexpected that Kayla jumped. She glanced up to see the rat's shoulders quaking.

"I'm sorry," the brunette said sharply. "Is something about my situation funny?"

Sensing her irritation, Splinter stopped laughing. "No, no...It is just that...Karai is my daughter."

Kayla's jaw dropped. "What?" she said numbly. He nodded, and she dropped her face into her hands. "Well, now I feel stupid." Splinter patted her shoulder, stiffening when she threw her arms around him. "Thank you, Sensei," Kayla told him, standing and making her way out of the dojo and down the hall.

Raph stood in the doorway of Leo's room, his arms crossed. "I wouldn't go in there right now if I were you."

The brunette rolled her eyes and pushed past him. Inside, Leo sat on the floor trying to meditate, but the glow that normally occurred kept fading. He jerked as Kayla put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

The leader hesitated, but sighed. "Okay. I...um...I have something to show you later. If that's okay, I mean."

Kayla's curiosity was immediately aroused. "Something to show me? What is it? A bike?"

"No."

"A puppy?"

"Nope."

"Did you beat Karai?"

Leo chuckled. "Nuh-uh."

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"Not a chance."

"Does it have to do with all of the guys?"

"Maybe."

A sly grin appeared on her face. "Does Mikey know?"

Too late, Leo realized his mistake. "Kayla, don't even think about it!" But she shot up, laughing, and bolted into the main room. "Kayla!"

The female turtle stopped next to Mikey. "Hey, Mikester?"

"Yeah?" he said, totally engrossed in the game he was playing.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know what Leo's planning to show me?"

"Yeah."

"Can you tell me?" she asked sweetly.

Mikey froze, the player on his game dying. He laughed nervously. "Um..."

"Pretty please?"

He slowly set the PlayStation controller down and stood up, beginning to back away. "Er...um...why don't you ask Donnie? Yeah! That's it! He knows more than I do!"

Kayla scowled as Mikey fled to the kitchen, but she started making her way towards the lab. "Time to go see Donnie."

 **Okay, so I feel like this one wasn't as well-written as the previous few...but here's hoping it was. XD**

 **Let me know in a review! (And if you have comments, questions, whatever, just drop them here!)**

 **Please review.**


	21. Chapter 21

**AUTHOR'S NOTE - PLEASE READ:** _Hey, guys! Queen here! I wanted to apologize, first of all, for taking so long to update. Things have been going crazy with my family lately...we've got some big stuff coming up soon._

 _Also, I've been rewriting the first couple chapters of this book. I would love it so very much - and be so very grateful to you - if you would go back and check out the rewritten chapters! I think that they're chapters 1-3. I'm trying to make the story better...please let me know if it's working, haha. ;)_

 _Anyway, that's all I've got. So without further ado, I present..._

 **Chapter 21**

Hours later, the guys all sat silently around the kitchen table. Raph held an icepack on his upper arm, hiding the dark purple bruise from a punch that Kayla had given him. Donnie was wrapping a minor burn on his hand with gauze. Mikey stared absently at the tabletop, his thoughts a million miles away.

As Raph shot him another glare, Leo's expression turned guilty. "Sorry, guys..."

The hothead scowled at the table. "Yeah, well maybe you should've just told her."

"He's right, Leo," Donnie said, wincing as he tied off the bandage.

Brushing off the accusatory tone in his sibling's voice, Leo stood, checking the clock above the stove. "I guess I'd better grab her so we can get moving. I'll see you guys later."

As if on cue, Kayla popped her head into the kitchen. "Did someone call me?" she asked innocently.

Raph just pointed at her with his uninjured arm. "When you get back, we're taking it to the dojo."

The brunette grinned. "Fine by me." That said, she headed out to her truck, surprised to find Leo in the driver's seat. "Er, shouldn't _I_ drive, since I can shift to human form and all?" Kayla gestured to his shell and green skin.

Leo just winked, pressing a button on his T-Phone. There was a flash of light, and Kayla gaped. A man now sat in the driver's seat. He had black hair that tumbled over his forehead and touched the collar of the navy blue coat he was wearing. And those eyes...she knew those eyes.

"Leo?" she whispered.

He laughed. "Yeah, it's still me."

"But...how?"

"Short version: Donnie made an app that would turn us human for a while."

"Is that how you did it at the bar?"

"Yep." Leo turned off the parking brake. "You ready?"

"Where are we going again?" Kayla asked, climbing into the passenger seat.

The leader just smiled. "You'll see." He drove out onto the streets of New York, heading out of the city and into the upstate.

Forty-five minutes later, the truck came to a stop beside a familiar sight. Kayla gasped and turned to stare at Leo. "How?"

He chuckled. "Donnie did some research. This place came up as your father's property. I figured that it was what you'd been telling me about."

The brunette nodded wordlessly, jumping out of the vehicle and taking in the view of the cabin that had been so dear to her in childhood.

She pulled a slim chain out from underneath her shirt. On it was a silver key, the same one that her dad had given her when she was seven. Fingers shaking slightly, Kayla inserted the key into the lock and turned. The door swung open, and the female mutant breathed in the faded scent of smoke from campfires and the smell of pine trees from the Christmases she'd spent here. But the scent that stood out most was her father's cologne. It hung in the air, faint but still present, drifting from the rooms.

Tears sprang to Kayla's eyes as she climbed the stairs to her old bedroom. It was just as she'd left it. Pictures of her childhood friends and of her parents hung on the walls. Though covered in dust, the bed was still neatly made and covered in a purple quilt and several throw pillows, along with a well-used teddy bear.

Kayla turned as Leo appeared in the doorway, back in his turtle form. "Is it...okay?"

She smiled, her lower lip quivering. "I've never been happier in my life," she said quietly, hugging him. "Thank you so much."

Leo glanced around the cozy space. "Is this your room?"

"Yeah," Kayla confirmed, walking over to the desk. She picked up a framed photo and wiped off the thick layer of dust. "This is my family."

The leader's eyes fell on a young, smiling boy. "Is that..." he trailed off.

She nodded. "My brother. He...he died in a car accident a couple months before Dad... He was only nine," she said shakily. "We were all a lot happier before... Mom and Dad didn't fight nearly as often. Dad had a good job, and Nick and I were really close."

Leo's arms slid around the teen's shoulders. "That sounds really nice," he replied, gazing at the memory, the little piece of her past.

Kayla smiled again, setting the picture back down. "Come on," she said suddenly, tugging at Leo's hand.

"Where are we going?" Leo laughed as she pulled him down the stairs.

"I want to show you something." She led him outside, down an old path overgrown with weeds. "Be careful. It can get hard to walk back here."

Leo followed her down the trail until they stopped at a tree house, nearly hidden from view. "Whoa. You...you have a _tree house?"_

Kayla would've laughed at the childlike wonder of that question had she not been focused on climbing the tree. "Come on up!" she called back, continuing to climb. When she reached the near top of the old oak, she scrambled onto a hidden platform.

When Leo reached the top, he saw her resting beside an old wooden trunk. Kayla flipped open the lid, hoping...

The blue-clad turtle inhaled as Kayla pulled out two silver daggers, a set of slightly used nunchucks, a pair of sai, and a handful of throwing stars. "Amazing," he whispered. "But how?"

"Wait," she instructed, pulling a canvas-wrapped bundle from the same hollow space in a branch where the trunk had been stored. She unwrapped the bundle, laying it on the floor of the platform. Inside were several slightly tarnished katana etched with Japanese designs, a beautifully carved bow and a quiver of arrows with red fletching, an ash wood staff, and a zatoichi sword hidden in an ash cane.

Kayla handed Leo two of the katana. "Swing them."

The blades slid through the air effortlessly, wind zinging along the finely honed edges. "They're beautiful," Leo breathed. "Perfectly balanced. I could take anyone down with these. Where did you get them?"

The brunette shifted uncomfortably. "I- My father knew a blacksmith. Dad gave some of these weapons to me on each of my birthdays and Christmases. He was...he was training me to become a kunoichi," she admitted quietly.

Leo glanced at her, startled. "A kunoichi? How did he know about that?"

Kayla bit her lip, looking away. "We used to live in Japan, but when Dad's job got put in jeopardy, we moved here."

"Your dad's job?" he prodded, sitting next to her.

"Yeah. He was a...ninja lord, I guess. One day he was attacked while patrolling the city for danger. He was badly hurt when he got home...I've never seen Mom that upset. That's when we moved here." Kayla laughed unevenly. "Nick thought it was the coolest thing ever that Dad was a ninja..."

Leo's brow furrowed. "But you don't look Japanese."

"Mom was an American that had moved to Japan on business. She and my dad met, fell in love, got married, and the rest is history." She fingered the nunchucks in her lap. "These were Nick's. Dad had them made so he could teach Nick how to protect himself. And more importantly, protect us."

Leo was silent as he contemplated what she'd told him. "Your dad wasn't killed in a mugging, was he?"

Kayla shook her head, closing her eyes. "He was murdered...by the Shredder."

 **Please review.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

 _Leo was quiet for a moment. "Your dad wasn't killed in a mugging, was he?"_

 _Kayla shook her head, looking away. "He was murdered...by the Shredder."_

The brunette sighed at the silence that followed her statement and picked up the bow, running her fingers along the curved wood. "Oroku Saki was a big crime boss in Japan...he was the one who attacked my dad that night." She took a deep breath. "Dad barely escaped with his life."

Leo shook his head, his gaze becoming distant and the muscles in his neck tensing.

"Are you mad at me?" Kayla asked timidly.

The leader didn't answer for a long moment. Then his expression softened and he sighed. "No, I'm not mad. I'm just...disappointed, I guess. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid that you guys wouldn't...well, that you'd kick me out."

Leo blinked. "Really? Why would you think that?"

"Because Raph isn't that keen on me in the first place, and I wasn't sure about you. I'm not related to you by blood, and I'm not part of the team. So-"

"We wouldn't kick you out. Don't worry. Even if Raph gives us a million reasons why you shouldn't be able to, I'll find one for you to stay."

The answer was so simple and so honest that it stunned Kayla for a minute. "Why?" she asked finally, her voice near-silent.

Leo took a minute to answer. "You may not be related to us by blood, but you are one of us. And in our clan, nobody gets left behind. Understood?"

"Yeah," the female turtle whispered, traces of tears evident in her eyes. They were quiet for a moment, the only sound the sighing of the wind through the trees.

"This is nice," Leo said after a while. He glanced at the brunette beside him. "Do you ever miss living out here in the country?"

Kayla's expression turned a bit sad. "Sometimes. Most of the time, I'm just happy being with you guys." She picked up the nunchucks again and ran her fingers over the worn grips. "I'm content with my life." Leo's stomach growled and Kayla laughed. "I think it's time to eat."

The blue-banded turtle stood, pulling her to her feet. "Why don't you relax and have a look around while I make dinner?" he suggested.

She stopped and stared at him for a minute. "You...make dinner?" she repeated warily. Mikey had told her about the leader's numerous failed episodes.

A wry grin appeared on Leo's face. "Try to, anyway," he amended, and was rewarded by another chuckle. The last thing he saw before he headed back to the cabin was the wistful look in Kayla's eyes as she gazed up at the fading red and orange of the sunset.

* * *

A few days later, Kayla found herself back in the main room of the Lair as the four turtles sat in the kitchen and discussed a plan for patrol that night. She sighed and lay back on the sofa, closing her eyes. An image of her father surfaced in her mind and her heart squeezed painfully.

 _Never tell anyone who you are._

She had lived that promise for the past six years, taking on the new identity that her parents had given her. In that time, using her new name had become as easy as breathing.

Living with the guilt and the sorrow had not.

Karai's voice, razor-sharp and cold as ice, echoed through her mind. _"Do you think he would be proud of who you turned out to be? How you betrayed his memory? The freaks you hang out with now?"_

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Kayla whispered, a tear slipping down her cheek. "All I ever wanted was to make you proud..."

"Miss Brent?"

The girl's eyes flew open and she bolted upright. Master Splinter was watching her carefully.

"Is something bothering you, my child?" the aging rat asked.

Kayla hesitated, biting her lip and glancing around to see if anyone was listening. _'I'm sorry, Dad'_ she thought. _'I can't carry this burden anymore. Not by myself.'_

"It's...it's about my father, Sensei."

"Yes, Leonardo told me the story. But there is more, I suspect, than you let on?"

The brunette swallowed, started to speak, and swallowed again. "He wasn't...Dad wasn't just a random ninja lord, Master Splinter. He was the leader of the Foot Clan. At least until Shredder came along."

Splinter was silent for a moment. "I see," he finally replied. "And you think that just because he was part of the Foot that it makes him a bad person?"

"Well...no, it's not that. If the guys ever found out, they'd _hate_ me. And I can't deal with that. I've already lost so much." Kayla paused to take a breath. "Leo...The guys already lost Karai to the Foot. If they found out who Dad really was – and who _I_ really am -"

"I suspect that they would still care for you. Did Leonardo not tell you as much?"

"Not in so many words, but-"

"Then what have you to fear?"

 _Losing the only family I have left,_ she wanted to say. "Master, meeting you guys is the best thing that's happened to me in years –not counting the mutation and stuff. If all of this went by the wayside because of my past..."

The ninja master put a hand on the teen's shoulder. "Our past does not make us who we are; it serves to forge us into something stronger. I still think of you as one of my own, even after you have told me about your heritage. You have nothing to fear from my sons. If anything, they will understand you better than before."

"So...you're saying that I should tell them?"

"I am saying that perhaps you would feel better. We must all make our own way in life, for it is we alone that can walk our path. No one else can do it for us," Splinter said thoughtfully. "You have made a path for yourself, and taken a brave first step by revealing your past to me. Now you must take the next step."

As the rat walked back into the dojo, Kayla released a long breath, trying to calm her nerves. Her next step was clear.

And maybe – just maybe – the weight on her shoulders had eased.


	23. Chapter 23

_Hey, everyone!_

 _After reading a review left on the last chapter (thanks, SupernovaWolf!), I realized that I might be confusing you guys with the whole "Kayla's father being the leader of the Foot Clan" bit._

 _Explanation? I know that in the 2012 series, Shredder was adopted by the Hamato Clan as a baby, then he rose up and took control of his birthright (Foot Clan). But I wanted to make things a little different - more challenging, I guess - and create conflict within the story. Ergo, Johnathan Brent was born. Metaphorically speaking._

 _That's all I had for you guys. Without further ado..._

 **Chapter 23**

The next morning, Kayla headed into the kitchen bleary-eyed and yawning. She accepted a plate of food from Mikey then joined Raph and Leo at the table. Donnie stumbled in a minute later, groping for the cup of coffee that had already been prepared and left on the counter for him.

Despite the tired aching of her muscles and bones from yesterday's training, the brunette's lips twitched in a smile. It was a well-known fact that until he had at least one cup of coffee in his system, Donnie was never ready to face the morning.

By the second cup of coffee, the purple-banded genius was blinking the sleep from his eyes and heading to his lab for another day of work; Leo was in the dojo preparing for his personal training session with Master Splinter; and Raph was glaring daggers at Mikey as the freckled turtle rode his skateboard ever closer to his brother's stack of Modern Ninja Magazines.

Kayla sighed and walked back to her bedroom, at a complete loss of things to do. For a while, she played around with her phone. Scanning through the books on her shelves unearthed nothing of interest, and at length, the mutant flopped back onto her bed and closed her eyes.

The memory dragged her under instantly.

 _The brown station wagon idled by the curb, exhaust spilling in a thick grey cloud from the back pipe. A dark-haired woman lifted one final suitcase into the trunk and pulled the lid shut, then turned to kiss a young boy with curly blond hair._

 ** _No,_** Kayla thought desperately. **_I don't want to see this._** But the image had sunk its claws deep into her mind, so deep that she couldn't pull out, couldn't wake up.

 _"Honey," the woman called, putting an arm around her son. "Go tell your father that we're ready to leave."_

 _"Yes, Mama," a girl with long brown hair replied, disappearing into the apartment building. The girl reappeared within two minutes, followed by a tall man dressed casually in blue jeans and an old t-shirt. The man laughed as he chased his daughter, his eyes crinkling from the smile on his face._

 _"Johnathan! Kayla!" the woman said in exasperation. "I'd like to leave sometime today."_

 _"Yeah, Daddy!" the boy echoed. "Sometime today!"_

 _"Coming, Evelyn," Johnathan replied. "Thanks, Nick," he murmured to his son, grinning as he scooped him up and placed him on the back bench of the car. Kayla scooted in after him, making sure to carefully buckle them both up before nodding at her father to close the door._

 _Soon, the family was well on their way to their special place – a cabin hidden within the woods of upstate New York. Half an hour passed, then forty-five minutes. Nick and Kayla played games in the back seat, occasionally teasing each other with a joke that would make their parents laugh._

 _Then Johnathan frowned. Evelyn glanced at him, her brow furrowing. "What is it, sweetheart?"_

 _"There's a car following us," he replied in a voice that Kayla had only ever heard him use once. That was the time that he said they had to move. She knew it wasn't a good sign._

 _"Honey, there are plenty of cars behind us," Evelyn said gently. "I'm sure that they're just going somewhere like everyone else." Johnathan's jaw clenched but he said nothing._

 _Until the sleek black van pulled up right beside them and started to force them off of the road._

 _Evelyn's eyes were wide. "John!"_

 _"I know!" he snapped, pressing the gas pedal to the floor in an effort to move away. But the van matched their speed for every mile. By now, they had left the other vehicles far behind – a fact which made escaping the van all the more difficult._

 _"Daddy?" Kayla asked in a small voice. "What's going on?"_

 _"Not now," the man replied, his knuckles turning white as he fought to keep them on the country road. The passenger side window of the van rolled down and a man leaned out, aiming a gun at Johnathan._

 _The father let out a curse, jerking sharply to the side to avoid the bullets. Unfortunately, the move had a grave and immediate consequence. The station wagon lost purchase on the shoulder of the road, tires squealing on ground made even more slippery by recent rains._

 _Johnathan's eyes went wide and he lunged for his children in the backseat -_

"No!" Kayla screamed, bolting upright. Tears stung at her eyes and she blinked them away, throwing off the blanket that someone had pulled over her sometime during her nap. She stalked out into the main room, trying furiously to forget the memories of that night.

"It doesn't matter," she whispered, hugging herself. "It's over. You're safe."

 _But **he's** gone,_ that little niggling voice taunted.

The brunette ripped a hand through her hair and paced the floor, tuning out the voice. Then she noticed that the Lair was unusually quiet, the only noise the lapping of water at the sides of the pool under the tire swing and the gentle whirr of the refrigerator in the nearby kitchen. "Where the shell _is_ everybody?" she muttered. As if on cue, her gaze landed on a note stuck to the TV screen.

 _Kayla,_

 _You must've been tired! When I went in to ask you about lunch, I found you asleep on your bed. If you're reading this, we're probably gone on patrol, but I left you some Pizza Noodle Soup in the fridge for your dinner. All you gotta do is microwave it. Anyway, Leo's calling me so I gotta go. See you in a few hours, dudette!_

 _Mikey_

At the mention of food, Kayla's stomach growled. She sighed, crumpled up the note, and tossed it on the couch as she walked towards the kitchen. While she warmed up the soup that Mikey had left, the dream-memory resurfaced in her mind, mingling with the conversation she'd had with Splinter.

 _Our past does not make us who we are. If anything, it serves to forge us into something stronger._

A feeling of dread settled in the mutant's gut, replacing the hunger and leaving her nauseous. Despite what the ninja master had said, she didn't think the news would go over that well.

Yet a part of her very much wanted to reveal that secret, to release the burden she'd been carrying all that time. Crossing her arms, Kayla swore to herself that she'd tell the turtles the truth about her father.

And when Mikey's greeting rang out through the Lair an hour later, she knew that it was time.

 **Please review.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 25**

Ten minutes later, Kayla had everyone seated at the kitchen table. Her heart was pounding, but Master Splinter smiled gently at her.

 _It will be all right,_ his eyes seemed to say. _Have faith._

"So what did you want to tell us?" Donnie asked curiously.

"It's something about...about my past." She took a deep breath. "I'm sure Leo told you by now that my father was a ninja lord back in Japan, and that Shredder..."

Leo nodded. Then he frowned. "Wait. You mean there's more?"

Kayla avoided his intense blue gaze. "Yes. Dad's job...he wasn't..." She sighed. "He wasn't just a ninja lord in general. He was the leader of the Foot Clan. And as his daughter, it's...it's my Clan, too."

Dead silence met that statement. Even then, she could tell. All the trust that she had built over the past few months was gone. It was evident from Raph's suspicious gaze, from Donnie's shocked face, from the almost-fear in Mikey's eyes. And Leo...Leo's eyes conveyed nothing. His expression was impassive. Empty. Cold.

The brunette swallowed hard, trying desperately not to cry as she backed out of the room. She ran through the Lair and up the staircase where she and Leo had gone only weeks before.

A memory surfaced, a flash of a red and black mask clenched tight in a fist. _It belongs to you. I know who you really are, what your true heritage is. You know that you want it._

 _I'm not that person anymore._

 _Everything your father worked for, everything he did. You would just throw it all away like so much trash?_

"I'll never get away from it. Never." Rage and hopelessness built within her, hard and unyielding. Kayla's chest heaved with the emotions swelling inside. A feral scream tore from her throat.

At last, her knees gave out and she collapsed in the soft grass and clover, completely spent. The last thing the mutant saw were stars appearing in the dusky sky above.

And then darkness consumed her.

* * *

 **Back at the Lair...**

The turtles were arguing, their voices echoing off of the stone walls and creating an indecipherable noise. "YAME!" Splinter finally yelled, banging his staff.

After a brief second, Raph opened his mouth again. "Sensei, her father was the leader of the Foot Clan!" he said angrily.

"So?" the aging rat challenged. "Does that make her any less worthy of your friendship? You did not turn Miwa away because she had been raised by the Foot Clan."

"That's different, Sensei," Donnie began. "Kayla-"

"Is what she chooses to become," Splinter interrupted. "Yes, it is her birthright to be the head of our enemies, but she does not have to take the opportunity offered her. Leonardo, did you stop caring for her when you found out that her father was a ninja lord?"

The eldest flushed. "Well, no, Sensei, but-"

"And Raphael, did you care for her any less when she began to have feelings for your brother?"

"Er..." _I never really liked her to begin with, but..._

"Donatello, if she did not understand something, would you leave her to figure it out for herself or would you help her?"

"I would help her, Sensei."

"And Michelangelo, would you abandon her if she decided that she no longer enjoyed your cooking?"

Mikey's face betrayed his horror. "Of course not, Sensei!"

Splinter banged his staff on the floor again. " _Then why should you all turn your backs on her when she has told you – of her own free will – about her past?_ Hmm?"

All four brothers looked ashamed. "I'm sorry, Father," Donnie said, the others echoing his sentiment.

"It is not me to whom you should be apologizing," the rat said. His tone was heavy with disappointment.

"We need to find her," Leo decided firmly. However, a thorough search of the Lair revealed nothing. Kayla was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is she?" Mikey asked, his baby blues filled with worry.

"It's like she just...disappeared," Donnie observed quietly.

"You don't think she ran away again, do you?"

At Mikey's question, the shred of a thought appeared in Leo's mind. His head snapped up. "I think I know where to find her."

 **Hey, guys!**

 **First of all, I know that this update was a long time in coming. I apologize for that. :(**

 **Secondly, I know that this is not a very long chapter. The reason being, I couldn't really think of much more to write for this part.**

 **So anyway, there'll be another update soon. I already have the groundwork laid out for it. ;)**

 **See you next time!**

 **TMNT-Queen**


	25. Chapter 25

_Hey, guys. I know that this update was a long, LONG time in coming, and I'm sorry about that...things have been crazy lately._

 _Anyway, here you go._

 **Chapter 25**

"Whoa," Mikey said, awed. "Look at this clover! Ooh! There's another one!" His excitement was cut short as Raph slapped him. "Ow!"

"That's because we're in a clover field, genius," the hothead replied sarcastically.

Sighing, Leo led his brothers out to the top of a hill, where they began to scan the field. "It's no use, Leo," Donnie said eventually. "We're never going to find her. It's pitch black out here."

"We _have_ to find her, Don," Leo said firmly. "It's my - _our_ fault that she's gone in the first place, and who knows what could happen to her overnight if she stayed out here?"

"How do we even know she's-" Raph began.

Mikey cut him off. "I see her!"

And indeed, there was the brunette, sprawled unconscious in the midst of the grass. Leo's hear clenched and he ran over, scooping her up gently. She moaned, shivering a little.

"The wind is picking up," Donnie observed. "We need to get her back to the Lair and warmed up. It's only August but there's a definite chill in the air. She could get very sick if she stayed out much longer."

When they returned home, Master Splinter was waiting at the door. He frowned, checking Kayla's forehead and pulse after Leo placed her on the couch. "Hmm..." was all he said.

"Will she be okay?" the youngest turtle asked anxiously.

"That remains to be seen," Splinter said gravely. "Donatello, I will need a basin of hot water. Raphael, find her some warm clothes. Michelangelo, go make soup for when she wakes up." They nodded, hurrying to do what he said. Leo sank down in the chair next to the couch, at a loss.

"What have I done, Sensei?"

"Leonardo, you are not the first man – or turtle – to make a fool of yourself over a woman. However, when you make a mistake such as this, you must realize that you may not be forgiven."

"Hai, Sensei. It's just that...if I hadn't acted the way that I did then she wouldn't have run off."

"Do not place all the blame on your own shoulders, my son. Your brothers were at fault as well." Kayla gave a sudden groan and Leo jumped, looking miserable. "Perhaps it would do you good to meditate for a while, Leonardo."

The leader stared at the rat for a moment. "I don't want to leave her, Sensei. I-I-"

Splinter's face grew stern. "Nothing will happen. She is in the capable hands of myself and Donatello. Your brooding is helping no one."

Leo swallowed and rose, nodding. As soon as he was gone, Kayla peeled her eyelids open and she glanced at Splinter. "Thank you," she murmured, her teeth chattering. "I was s-starting to think you might've had to knock h-him out just to get him out of the r-room."

The aging rat couldn't hide his smile as he tucked a blanket around her. "He is stubborn...The two of you would make a fine pair indeed, if he was less focused on the flaws and the supposed danger in front of him."

Kayla had no response to that, so she burrowed down into the sofa instead. Soon, Donnie and Raph came back with the items they'd been sent to obtain. Raph awkwardly thrust the bundle of clothes at the brunette, shrugging it off when she tried to thank him. In less than ten minutes, she was seated on the couch with her feet soaking in hot water, sweatpants and a jacket on, and a bowl of hot soup in her lap.

"Thanks, guys," she whispered, her shivering abated. She couldn't look them in the eyes, however - she had no way of knowing what had transpired since she ran from the Lair.

So it came as a complete surprise when Mikey threw his arms around her and squeezed her tight. Donnie yelped and grabbed the soup bowl before it could spill on her lap. Mikey ignored his brother. "I'm so sorry, dudette!" the youngest wailed. "It wasn't right of me to judge you, and I wouldn't want you to leave, no matter what the guys said. You're part of our family, and nothing can change that. If you want to take over the Foot, that's fine, but you're still gonna be family to me no matter what."

The brunette gasped at that, glancing at the other two turtles. Donnie and Raph both nodded, confirming what their sibling said. "He's right," Donnie agreed quietly. "We were wrong to act that way...after all, you did it on your own. And being part of the Foot doesn't make you a bad person...I'm really sorry, Kayla."

"Sorry," Raph mumbled.

Kayla's eyes were huge. Of all the things they could've said, this was the most unexpected. That's not to say that it was unwelcome, however, and she was soon engulfed in a huge hug by all three of the youngest turtles.

Splinter smiled and shook his head as he rose, deciding to check on his eldest son. When he looked into the dojo, he frowned slightly. Leo was inside, trying to meditate, but his glow kept fading as quickly as it appeared. "Leonardo?"

The blue-clad turtle jumped at his father's voice. "Hai, Sensei?"

"What is on your mind, my son?" Splinter asked, joining him on the rug.

"It was brave of Kayla to tell us her secret," Leo admitted. "I'm just...I guess I'm shocked, is all. I never thought that she could have that kind of secret. I mean, she's sweet and kind, a-and trustworthy. Not at all the traits of the Foot Clan..." He looked up suddenly. "Sensei, Kayla is the daughter of the leader of the Foot Clan. That doesn't mean she _is_ a Foot, does it?"

"No, it does not." The aging rat put a hand on Leo's shoulder. "We are what we choose to be, not what our past dictates. You cannot change the past, Leonardo. Nor should you worry about the future. Tomorrow will take care of itself. Focus on the present, and on what you have. Everything else will follow."

"Hai, Sensei," Leo replied, bowing deeply. He rose, oblivious to the smile on Splinter's face, and rejoined his brothers in the living room. Upon entering, however, he immediately burst out laughing. "What is...going on?" he managed between bursts of laughter. Mikey was dressed in a toga that looked suspiciously like the shower curtain from the hallway bathroom, and Raph was dressed in a trench coat, sunglasses, and a fedora.

"Donnie told me that I had to rest for a while, so Mikey and Raph offered to entertain me." Kayla smiled, but it was a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

At the look on Kayla's face, Donnie gestured for his brothers to follow him. Kayla and Leo were alone in the main room. The grin melted off of Leo's face and he walked over, his shoulders sagging. "Kayla, I..."

"Don't worry about it," she whispered, picking at a loose threat on her blanket. "It's fine."

"No, it's not," Leo replied fiercely. "I hurt you, Kayla, whether intentionally or not, and I need to apologize to you for it."

"Leo-"

"Being the daughter of the Foot Clan doesn't make you part of them. You're...you're way better than they could ever hope to be - you're not like them at all."

"But I _am,"_ she said suddenly, tears springing up in her eyes. "I _am_ part of them. And I _am_ like them...part of the way they used to be. When my father ran things, the Foot were better - nicer. They helped people. Then Saki came and took all that away. And maybe...maybe I want to be part of it. Maybe I want to _fix_ it, to take the Clan - _my_ Clan - back, and make it the way it should be."

Kayla's expression was scared, her eyes wild. Leo had never seen her this vulnerable before. She had just bared her soul to him, and now she was cowering, expecting him to explode again. To set his cold fury upon her and let it swallow her up.

But when Hamato Leonardo responded, it wasn't in fury, or wrath, or hatred. He cupped her face with his large hands, slowly but surely bringing her lips to his in a gentle kiss.

"Okay," he told her softly.

"Really?" she whispered, biting her lip.

"Really."

 **Whew! I feel like I just bared my _own_ soul to write that, guys. You know the feeling when you pour yourself out into a chapter of a story you're writing, and it might possibly be one of the best chapters you've ever written? (I don't necessarily feel the latter part, but I do feel emotionally exhausted now. I used the original chapter, but this is quite a bit different - and the end of it is all new writing.)**

 **Please review.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

The next day Leo called a meeting with his brothers to discuss their options for taking the Foot Clan. They determined that, while it wasn't possible at the moment, there certainly had to be a way to do so in the future. And that was all Kayla could ask for.

After lunch, the guys all split up to do whatever they did in the afternoons. Donnie vanished into his lab, Leo into the dojo for meditation, and Mikey and Raph walked over to the pinball machine.

Kayla sighed contentedly as she headed to her room. Her stomach was full, she had a nice place to call home, and there was a possibility of reclaiming her father's legacy. A pleasant smile was on her face when she approached her door, fully intending on getting a nap.

Her plan was stalled, however, when she discovered Master Splinter sitting on her bed. "Sensei!" she gasped. "What are you doing in here?"

"There is something I wish to show you," the aging rat said cryptically. "Please, follow me."

Abandoning the thought of her blankets and pillows, the brunette bit her lip and did as requested. But when they arrived at the dojo, she was surprised to see all four turtles kneeling on the mats as if it was training time.

Splinter cleared his throat, drawing Kayla's attention. She knelt immediately, in deference to the ninja master. "Miss Brent, during the course of the past nine months, you have accomplished much. You have exceeded my hopes in your training, and you have proven yourself to be a brave and noble ally - one who is willing to stand up for what you believe in, even when others tell you it is wrong." At his words, Leo and the others flushed a little in embarrassment, but he ignored them. "You have risen above every challenge thrust towards you, and so I would like to present you with this."

Leo's eyes shone with pride as his father brought forth a carved wooden box. Splinter nodded to his eldest son and the blue-banded turtle rose, opening the box and pulling out brightly colored fabric.

Kayla inhaled sharply. It was a mask cut from a bolt of striking electric purple satin. "It's beautiful," she whispered, bowing from the waist. Leo oh-so-gently tied the mask around her head, adjusting it so that it framed her eyes.

"You are now a kunoichi, and a full member of the Hamato Clan," Splinter announced. "Rise, my daughter, and embrace your new life."

Mikey got up from his kneeling position as soon as she stood, throwing his arms around her. "Congrats!" he cheered.

"Thanks, Mikester," the newly graduated kunoichi replied, beaming. Her eyes watered with tears of happiness as she turned to look at her boyfriend. Leo smiled softly, his expression full of a thousand things words just couldn't say.

He kissed her then, slowly and tenderly, as the others laughed. "You know what time it is?" Mikey asked when the two broke apart. Before anyone could answer, he was already speaking again. "It's PIZZA TIME, BOI!"

As Mikey, Donnie, and Raph left the room to make dinner and Splinter went into his sleeping quarters, Kayla stayed behind, feeling the tails of her new mask. A pair of strong arms wrapped around her from behind and she leaned into Leo's touch, closing her eyes.

"I'm so proud of you," he whispered. His deep voice made her shiver a little.

"You are?"

"I'm so proud that I'd go shout it to the world. If they wouldn't freak out as soon as they saw me, that is."

Kayla chuckled a little. "Come on, Casanardo. We'd better go before all the pizza is gone." She headed to the kitchen, pulling the leader along with her.

Once everyone was seated and had full plates, Raph cleared his throat and stood, raising his glass. "I'd like to make a toast. To Kayla. No matter what clan she decides to call her own, may she never forget that she is always welcome here. And may she always know that if she ever needs anything, we'll be here for her."

The brunette's eyes teared up again and she raised her glass with the others.

"To Kayla!"


End file.
